Love on the Edge of Forever
by Christopher Good
Summary: A story set right after game. Crono and the gang are searching for his mother when they come upon a new enemy with a familar face. Throughout the struggle a love is created and hearts become one. PG13 for suggestive themes later on. Please RandR, if I get
1. Casualties of War

Love on the edge of forever

Love on the edge of forever

Christopher Good

[ClarionStarlite@aol.com][1]

Author's Note: These next few updates are just corrects to spelling and grammar and things like that. I also altered Cain's name. For those of you who haven't played FFIVj, its still Kain. In addition, the ulterior motive of this is to get the story back on the first page. The reviews have been rather low and I want to hear more of what you think.

_From where the original left off..._

Crono, Marle, and Lucca jumped into the Epoch. 

"Where do you think that gate led too?"Marle asked as Lucca prepared them for temporal incursion. 

"There is no way of actually knowing that. The only thing we can do is to go through each separate time period and search." Crono stated connecting the restraining harness. 

"That is going to be difficult. Due to the fact that the gate was so weak it could have sent your mother anywhere, we will have to do a search of every single year from the beginning of time!" Lucca stated completing the preflight checks. 

"If that's what it takes that's what it takes. Set temporal control for coordinate zero, era the beginning of time, time frame, year 5,000,000,000,000 BC, month January, Day 1, punch it!" Crono ordered as Lucca entered in the final coordinate and turned the time key. The epoch speed increased and the jump was initiated. They appeared in a completely molten sub-world.

"Nothing could have survived down there." Marle said stating the obvious. "Lucca, do we have anyway of getting a closer look, without becoming fried chicken?" Crono asked hoping that nothing was given the opportunity to survive. Whether because the gate didn't lead here or that anything that entered died immediately without suffering. 

"We can't fly lower, but we might just a have a detection device... ah! Here it is." Lucca stated ending her search of the Epoch's command console. Instantly a three dimensional rendering of the planet appeared before them. "Lucca does it again." Marle said gleefully. "I don't see anything." Crono said saddened. 

"Let me change the detection parameter to look for organic material."Lucca said as she played with the command pad. "There, that should do it, anything?" Lucca asked looking up. The scan images was blank, this was a truly barren place. 

"Let's go, we have a lot of searching to do." Crono said sitting back down. 

"Yeah, it's not like we have all the time in the world...." Lucca said jokingly. 

"Funny Lucca, very funny, just punch it." 

Chapter 1

Casualties of War

They searched for days. Time period after time period always hoping to find something. They didn't. The only conciliation was the fact that they got to meet with all their friends from the battle with Lavos. They pushed on each time hoping, each time seeing what their world has been. 

They reached the year 998 AD. 

"Be careful, from what Baltesar was telling me when we first met was that if we went back to a time period stretching from two years before our time to up to sixty years after we must avoid all contact with ourselves or it could irreparably damage the time stream. Especially if we do something to prevent our developments into the warriors necessary to defeat Lavos." Lucca warned as she opened the protective bubble that served as the cockpit for the Epoch. 

Crono jumped down off the vehicle. He looked around. "I remember this place...." Crono said jokingly. 

Lucca was not so whimsical. "Something's not right. I don't know what it is but I know something's terribly wrong here."The group looked around and saw nothing. A cold wind began to blow, first slowly, but then it increased and became faster, colder and more vicious.

"What's going on?!" Crono asked unsheathing his katana and thrusting it into the ground to hold himself up against the winds.

"These winds are equivalent to those on Death Mountain!" Lucca said stringing a grappling line to the ground.

Marle was struggling to hold herself on the ground but it was no use, she lost her grip and flew backward. Crono sensing what had happened (sensing because the wind blotted out all possible visibility) reached his hand out and latched on to Marle's hand. 

"Crono, how.... why?" Marle said dumbfounded.

"You once said to me that you would never let me go, I make the same promise to you. I will never again leave you or let you go!" Crono screamed as the wind howled louder. He pulled up until they were face to face. 

"Marle... I love you!" Crono stated. Marle looked at him for what seemed like forever.Crono couldn't stand it, "I understand, I am simply a common kid from Truce wanting a princess, boy aren't I foolish. I honestly thought that someone like me could even hope to have a chance with a girl as beautiful as you. Your golden hair, eyes that shine like emeralds, like I could ever hope to have such a vision of absolute beaut...." Crono couldn't finish. They looked deep into each other's eyes; Marle wrapped herself around him and passionately kissed him. 

"What... what did I do to deserve that?" Crono asked dumbfounded.

"NO! This is not the way I had seen it at all!" The voice rang out from every direction stopping Marle before she could answer. 

"Winds of the mountain of death I bid you dissipate!" With this voice's command the wind ebbed and Crono and Marle fell to the ground. 

They got up and saw a familiar figure before them. "Schala!" Crono yelled. 

"No, I'm afraid she no longer exists. I am Tempest! I am the mistress of time. I hold powers that Lavos could have only dreamed about." Schala stated. 

"What was the meaning of this?!"Marle said stumbling to her feet. 

"It is very simple princess, I want you destroyed so that I may have Crono for myself." Schala yelled releasing the winds again. The wind was more focused this time. It placed a noose around both Crono and Marle. 

"If you didn't allow it to look like an accident, I guess I will just have to take the direct approach!" Schala growled. 

"Gateway, open!" She screamed as a familiar blue gate open beside her.

"Now you will be lost in time forever. I and Crono will live happily ever aft... ahh!" 

Schala was cut short by a solar energy blast hitting her from the side. 

"Sorry... small breeze was it, but I can't let you hurt my friends." Lucca said turning her gun too automatic. In spite of this pelting it did not loosen Schala's hold over Crono and Marle. 

"My name is Tempest you annoying insect! Be gone!"With this Schala's eyes transformed into ice crystals. A pulse was emitted, striking Lucca with a direct hit. Pain rippled through her as she felt her body freezing. The blast dissipated, there stood a frozen statue of what was once Lucca. 

"Humm..? How do I improve on this work? Oh yes I know." Schala cocked her head and the frozen statue of Lucca flew across the valley. It crashed into the mountain cliff, shattering. "Humm... yes I think that will work. I call it, Shattered Hero. Hum ha ha ha ha ha!" Schala cackled.

"Lu..cca.... no."Crono said as he struggled with the wind noose. 

"Oh yes, I was having so much fun with the other one I forgot about you two. Now it is time for you to disappear into the void miss princess." Schala lifted her hand and with it Marle went.

Crono still was holding her hand. "I ... wi..ll .. never ... le..t go!" Crono forced out beyond the grip of the noose.

"I ... lov..e y..ou!" Marle gasped his hand as the force of Schala's magic overpowered Crono's grip. Marle flew into the gate, which closed behind her. She was gone. 

"Now that that is done..." Schala began but was unable to finish. Crono with katana still in hand cut through the column of wind that served as his captor. The line broke and he fell to his knees gasping for air. 

"Oh yes. I forgot about your sword, the Rainbow, made from the only thing that can nullify my powers. I should go back and destroy the cursed prismshell, but there will be time for that later." Schala said shrugging her shoulders.

"No, you have destroy my best friend and sent my love to who knows when; you will not leave this valley alive, I swear it! On the soul of Lucca I swear to avenge her!" Crono said stumbling to his feet. He charged. Schala split in two and appeared behind him. 

She blasted him with a focus whirlwind "I don't want to have to hurt my precious, don't force me to." Schala said calmly. 

"You have already done far more to me then physical pain ever could hope to do. I am sorry Schala, you have been destroyed. I must now destroy this imposter in your form, this Tempest. Defend yourself you creature of absolute darkness, for you will not leave this field." Crono said getting to his feet. 

He charged at her again. She simply did her vanishing act again but this time made more of a point. "We could have been so good together, but if that's the way you feel so beit!" Tempest scream as she summoned her full wind power into one focused blast. The blast struck Crono like an asteroid hitting a planet. He was thrown back into the mountain cliff. He was hurt and he knew it. His battle was over, there was no way he could have the strength to get back up let alone fight. 

"Good bye sweet prince. I shall miss you." Tempest stated as she drew on her ice crystal power. Just as she was about to discharge it a lance flew in front of her and stuck into the ground between her and Crono. "Who dares?!" Tempest screamed as a figure appeared above her. 

"Stand down witch!" The figure yelled down.

"Come here and make me." Tempest challenged. Crono knew his life had been save for the moment but wondered whom his savior was and if he had enough power to fight her. 

"Be right there." The figure said casually. He jumped off the cliff. Crono thought to himself, he's done for. But no, the man dressed in plate armor covered in the scales of a strange,... what looked to be lizard, landed like a cat, no damage at all. 

"Very good trick, Mr. Dragon, you jump but can you fly?" Tempest said levitating. 

"No, but who needs flight to win a battle? Oh, and by the way, it is Dragoon, get it right." The dragoon said drawing his lance from its resting point. 

"I will worry about the boy later, I'd rather handle a man." Tempest said her eyes still glowing like diamonds. 

"Do what you will." The dragoon said getting into a fighting stance. Tempest didn't respond with words, she fired a beam of ice at him. He jumped, towering over everything including the valley. He launched his lance at his assailant. It struck and ran through her mid-section. She fell to the ground gasping for air. 

The dragoon landed, "Surrender, you are defeated." 

Tempest got to her feet. She looked at the lance and pulled it through her and out; she froze it and shattered it, she then healed herself. "I don't think so, I am the mistress of time how do you think it would look if I lost to someone like you!" Tempest said blasting the dragoon with a wind blade. 

He jumped, narrowly escaping it. "Can't we talk about this?" He said warily. 

Crono had watch the events unfold. He felt both sadness and rage over the destruction of Lucca and the loss of Marle. He knew that his savior now needed saving himself, but he was too damaged to help. All he could do was hope for a miracle. Just then he saw something shimmering in the ground. He drug himself over to it and found Marle's pendent. 

"Tempest said the only thing that can nullify her powers was prism power." He thought to himself. He hadn't held the pendent since he had received the rainbow. 

"Maybe… just maybe?" He thought grabbing for the pendent. The katana immediately reacted. Crono felt a power that was beyond his imagination flow through him. 

An image of Melchior appeared before him, "Crono I was hoping for the day when you would unlock the Rainbow's true power. Lucca is gone, sadly there is nothing I can do for her, but Marle and your mother are alive. You must use the power that you have unlocked to find them. The man who is fighting Tempest is from another space-time, his name is Cain. He will be a powerful ally; you both need each other in the battles you face ahead.You now have a new power to aid you in those battles.... arise Prism Knight!" Melchior said as a bright light enveloped Crono. 

He felt stronger, he still was injured but he felt he had the power to compensate. He stood up and the rainbow was gone. In its place was a sword; the type of weapon that frog used. He looked himself over. He was cover in a hard armor that was the same color and design of the prism shell. His attention returned to the battle just in time to see Cain jump out of the way of a wind blade that instead tore through the Epoch. It exploded throwing the nearby Cain into the mountainside. He fell to his hands and knees. 

Crono knew he had to do something. "Hey Tempest, how about you pick on someone your own size." Crono said spinning his newly found sword like he was an expert swordsman. 

Tempest turned around and gawked at Crono's armor. "Ooo, pretty colors." Tempest said jokingly. 

"Funny, laugh at this!" Crono said firing a beam of pure prism energy from his gauntlet. Tempest dodged knowing its composition. 

"Where did you pick that up?" Tempest said summoning her powers. 

"Go about two doors down and take a left, you can't miss it." Cain chimed in. 

"Who asked you!" Tempest said blasting a freeze bolt at him.

Crono launch a prism bolt, nullifying it. "Tempest, your fight is with me!" Crono said charging her. She teleported, but this time Crono was ready. He spun around creating a blade of prism energy, which launched against Tempest. The strike knocked her into the side of the valley. She lay there for a moment, when something strange happened. The color of Schala returned to her. Crono moved towards her, sword still at ready. 

"Cro..no?" Schala whispered. 

Crono lightened for a moment then went stone again. "Nice try Tempest." Crono said continuing his advance. 

"Crono please, I am sorry for what she did to you. You are right to advance. I cannot maintain control for very long. You must destroy me before she has a chance to take over again. I beg of you, destroy me, while you still can!" Schala said in tears.

Crono lowered his sword. "What happened to you?" Crono asked bending down. 

"When Lavos attacked, I was not killed, I was merely absorbed into the mammoth machine. When you, Robo, and Marle destroyed it on the Black Omen, I was released, but with no memory. When you defeated Lavos, somehow all the power he had in him, all the darkness, was transferred through that infernal machine and into me. I regained my memories, but they were suppressed by the hatred and evil. Thus, Tempest was created. She is the combination of my powers and Lavos's. The only catch is that my natural light nullifies her dark powers. You call this power prism. I.... ahh!" Schala stopped short and screamed in pain. "I am losing control, do it now!" Schala said as her color began to fade. 

"I am sorry for what I must do." Crono said raising his sword. 

"Too late." Tempest said blasting him with a wind blade. It wasn't as strong as it was before, but it was still enough to send pain through his injuries. He winced but pulled himself together and blasted Tempest again. 

She fell to the ground. "This isn't over Crono. You will be mine!" Tempest said opening a gate and disappeared. 

"Your right, this isn't over. I will avenge Lucca and bring back Schala and Marle." Crono said clasping his fist. 

"You're going to need help with that." Cain said brushing himself off. 

"You just got whipped, do you honestly think you have the power to fight Tempest." Crono said sheathing his newly forged sword. 

"Strength isn't everything you know. You can't fight this battle alone and besides these gates are my only way home." Cain stated looking annoyed at the rainbow-clad hero.

"Come along if you wish, I don't baby-sit though." Crono said raising the pendent. 

"Umm, if you remember I am the one who saved your life." Cain said running up next to him. 

"That's why you're still here." Crono said as a gate formed in front of them. 

"After you." Crono said motioning Cain forward. He ran and jumped into the gate and Crono followed. The gate shut behind them. Thus the adventure begins.

   [1]: mailto:ClarionStarlite@aol.com



	2. Future's Result

Chapter 2

Future's Result

Crono and Kain landed in a place that even Crono was at a loss for words about. "Where? When? Kain managed before a siren sounded from behind them. 

"Hold intruders, move and I will be forced to fire." Crono turned around and gasped at what he saw. 

"Lu... Lucca!" Crono said removing his hand from his sword.

"Processing....... Voice pattern recognized, Unit Crono. Welcome to the twenty-third century." Lucca stated. Crono looked up and saw another flyer coming in from behind. 

"Robo!" Crono said extending a hand to his titanium friend.

"Prometheus, please. I haven't gone by Robo in twelve centuries" Prometheus said brushing Crono's hand away. 

"Who is that?" Kain motioning to Lucca. "The last time I saw her she was a pile of crushed ice." 

"Affirmative, this is Luccabot3. After the battle with Tempest you had in 998 AD Lucca's shattered body remained. We were able to save her memory engrams, but sadly not her body. I was able to fashion this droid from my memory files. Though she does not have the personality Lucca had, she does possess her knowledge and sense of morality." Prometheus said as Luccabot jumped from the hoverboard. 

"Now you said Luccabot... three, what happened to the first two?" Crono asked looking the metallic representation of his fallen friend over. 

"The first one was destroyed saving people after Truce Dome collapsed and the second one was destroyed in a sabotaged lab." Prometheus said shaking his head. "Moving on, how did you get here, the Epoch was damaged beyond repair, and no gates exist anymore." Prometheus said. 

"I used my new found power to open a gateway on the same path as Tempest." Crono stated rubbing the pendent with his thumb. 

"That would mean Tempest is here!" Prometheus said warily. "Field Marshal Prometheus to Gaurdia command!" Prometheus screamed at his arm. 

"Doan responding, go ahead." Doan familiar voice spouted from Prometheus's arm. 

"Code x, Tempest has returned, repeat code x, Tempest has returned!" Prometheus shouted.

"Unable to send message, unknown interference." A shrill voice retorted. 

"She's here..." Crono stated coldly as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. 

"Scanning area." Luccabot3 returned. "Scan complete, no anomalies readings." Luccabot stated after finishing her scan. 

"Do you think I would be found so easily!" A voice resounded. 

"Show yourself witch!" Kain stated clinching his fists. 

"Your still here, I thought you run crying home after I destroyed your little toy." The voice stated slyly. 

"It will take much more then that to get rid of me!" Kain said moving into a fighting stance.

"Oh trust me, I will enjoy finding out what it will take, but first I have something else to do. Prometheus, what does it take to get through to you, I destroyed that girl for a reason!" The voice said as blast of energy came from the sky, ripping through Luccabot like tinfoil. The cyborg remains lay broken on the ground. "Now this is the fourth time I have destroyed her, let her remain destroyed." Tempest said appearing before them. 

"Where did you picked that one up Tempest, the last time we met your powers were only wind. " Crono stated drawing his sword. 

"I have gained a little power since we last met, wanna see?" Tempest screamed throwing a blast of dark energy. Crono dodged quickly, 

"Very good, now here's what I got!" Crono said launching a column of prism energy at Tempest. It hits her directly and did nothing. 

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Tempest asked slyly. 

"How?!" Crono said warily. 

"I told you I have new power since we last met. Now you have to be mine." Tempest said laughing manically. 

"Ok, now we have a problem.", Kain chimed in, "If your prism power is ineffective what can we fight her with?" Kain said remaining in his stance. 

"I don't know but we have to come up with something otherwise we are really in trouble." Crono said weighing the options. 

"Well you could surrender and this would all be over!" Tempest chimed in. 

"Not in this lifetime!" Crono stated charging his sword. 

"Why do you resist, don't you find this form attractive?" Tempest said striking a pose. 

"Whatever!" Crono yelled blasting the charge energy from his sword. This time it hit the target and actually did something. Tempest went flying against the cliffside. 

"This is getting repetitive!" Tempest said, once again pulling herself out of the gap in the rock wall made when she hit it the first time a over a millennium before. 

"Isolator charged!" Prometheus stated firing a bolt of energy from a newly formed weapon on his arm. An energy web formed in front of Tempest's position. "Remember this Tempest, it is what we used to capture you before." Prometheus said. 

"Good, because this net has one major flaw, it can't stop me from opening a gate." Tempest said as she opened a time gate behind her. 

"No!" Prometheus said as Tempest disappeared into the gate. "We must go after her." Prometheus said. 

"Thanks for stating the obvious tin can! Crono, where did she go?" Kain said. 

"Pendant's found her, let's go." Crono said opening a gate.

"Are you coming you pitiful excuse for a trash can." Kain said indignantly to Prometheus. 

"Affirmative." Prometheus responded. 

"Let's move!" Crono stated jumping into the gate. Kain and Prometheus followed behind. The gate closed and their path continues.


	3. End of the End

Author's Note: Little name change. Gesper was the guru at the end of time; Baltesar was the one in the future. Thank You Milikochan, your story explanation for _A.Z.: After Zeal_, showed me I needed to make this correction.

Chapter 3

The End of the End

The familiar blue waves flashed by as Crono thought about what had happened. He knew there was no way that the three renegades could ever defeat the power Tempest possessed alone, they would need help. He didn't have time to complete his thought as the drop into the swirling gray that was the landscape of the region called the end of time. 

"Where are we now?" Kain asked ignorantly.

"This region of timespace holds the nomenclature of End of Time." Prometheus said in his now normal monotone.

"Prometheus, what are we doing here?" Crono said drawing his sword.

"Scanning.... target found. The main hall of the End of Time." Prometheus stated beginning his way there. "Emergency, humanoid life signs failing, needs immediate medical attention." 

"Gesper! Move!" Crono said running into the hall of time. When they arrive they saw a very angry looking Tempest. 

"You insects! How many times do I have to kill you!" Tempest said blasting them with her normal brand of tricks. 

"Uhh, the last time I checked, we were the ones who made you retreat!" Kain said. 

"You're still here, do you think iron covered fists have a chance to defeat me?" Tempest scream. She was cut short from her rant by a prism energy bolt hitting its mark. 

"Do you have any idea how much that annoys me!" Crono was lifted off the ground. He floated motionless, not knowing what was happening. 

"Now see the powers I have learned prism warrior." Tempest stated raising her arms. A column enveloped Crono. The attack was unmistakable, Delta Strike, the attack that Crono, Lucca and Marle had formed in the battle with Lavos. The difference now was it was being cast by one person and against him. He could only float there as he felt the three part attack rip through him. The paralyzing effect of the energy well was so profound that he couldn't even let out a scream of pain. 

"We've got to do something!" Kain said shifting know that she was right, that without his lance he couldn't even scratch her. 

"Negative, acting know would mean certain deletion." Prometheus said coldly. 

"Your nothing like Crono said you were." Kain said turning to Prometheus. 

"That evaluation is correct, I am not like Crono said I was. I am now without the weakness of emotion. Fear, hatred, greed, lust, all the things that make humankind weak I am not." Prometheus stated holding his position. 

"If Crono dies it is not our concern. We must stop Tempest before she can unravel timespace. If you allow your emotions to cloud your logic then I will have to take you offline." Prometheus stated turning his gunarm to Kain. 

"Why you, emotionless, brainless, pitiful excuse for a tool box....!" Kain said jumping to avoid a blast emanated from Prometheus. 

"You are to emotional and therefore must be terminated before you compromise my mission." Kain dodged his blast until he reach the point we he was against the energy well that held Crono. 

"I've only got one shot at this." Kain said as an energy bolt came hurling at him. He jumped and the bolt struck the energy well. Kain turned around to see the energy well collapsed releasing Crono. Crono fell to the ground, smoke rose from his seared armor. Cracks were easily seen on it. Kain had released him from Tempest's assault but it didn't matter. Crono's injuries were already too severe. 

"Now you see that you fleas can't touch me!" Tempest said turning back to the hall of time. 

"Tempest for crimes against the citizens of 2317, you are here by under arrest." Prometheus said firing at both her and Kain. 

"Oh close your communications port you glorified calculator!" Tempest stated. She turned around and formed in her hands a shock pyramid. She lunged it at Prometheus. The force threw the now lifeless droid back and caused a crashing return to earth. 

"Now, do you wish to die as well, my fine scalely friend? I can return you to your universe. Wouldn't you prefer to be with Cecil and Rosa and all the others?" Tempest said. 

Kain thought for a moment, why fight a battle that wasn't his? Why not just go home to his friends. Then a horrible thought crossed his mind. "How the hell do you know about my life?" Kain said returning to his fighting stance.

"Simple, this is the end of time. This is the junction between all the times of all the universes. From here I will mount an assault to dominate timespace itself. I will be a goddess, ruling over mindless peasants, but to do so I need generals. Your friends, Cecil, Yang, Edge, and of course you, will make excellent prospects. Your defeat of Zeroumus proves that by far." Tempest said slyly. 

"I would rather die then ever serve you." Kain said indignantly. 

"You insignificant worm, do you not realize the power I am offering you?" Tempest stated showing anger. 

"Power does not a warrior make. I would rather die fighting you then live as your servant." Kain said knowing that his life would soon be over. Tempest charged her power and blasted him with all she had. When the dust settled she screamed. Kain stood, not even a scratch.

"How, why are you not a pile of ashes?!" Tempest said annoyed. 

"Well if I knew, you would be the second to know." Kain stated brushing himself off. Light enveloped Crono. His armor was restored and he could feel his energy returning to him. 

"No! Your dead Crono, who is doing this?!" Tempest said blasting everything her power could reach. 

"Perhaps you should check everywhere before you begin destroying a realm." Spekkio said appearing from the shadows. 

"Spekkio, how did you survive the original assault?" Crono questioned as he got up. 

"Simple, though powerful, Tempest isn't very thorough. Well, it seems you had a little upgrade spiky hair." Spekkio said charging his powers. 

"Marle's pendent, it fused to me as if wanting to find her as much as I did." Crono said picking up his sword. 

"Yes, the powers contained within those pendants bonds to their holders. It does want to find her as much as you do, and it knows the challenge you will have to face. With its power, you have been given a new alignment, and its time to receive a new power. Eni meni, ipso, facto, magico!" Spekkio chanted the familiar incantation. 

Crono felt a new energy surge through him. The spark of lightning he once possessed was replaced with the absolute light that was prism energy. "I don't know what it is, but I like it!" Crono charging his new found prism magic.

"Can we get on with this!" Tempest said breaking the moment.

"With pleasure Tempest, but first tell me where you've hidden Marle." Crono said preparing. 

"Why? She's dead, you want to see her grave stone?" 

"You liar, I can still feel her energy through the pendent." Crono said charging.

Tempest vaporized and appeared to the left. "Oh yes, that stupid pendent. Oh well, I guess I can't fool you. So I will just have to destroy you." 

Kain sat back and watched the battle that Crono and this other creature were doing with Tempest. He knew that if they weren't able to beat her she would be able to cross the dimensional boundary. He thought he had to help, but without his weapon or magic there was nothing he could do. He looked over to see a funny little man struggling to try to get his feet from within the hall. 

"Maybe that's that Gesper that Crono talked about." Kain thought. He ran over to help him. "Guru Gesper I presume." Kain said helping him to his feet. 

"I haven't been called that in a long time young one. "Gesper said trying to move under his own power. 

"Whoa old man, those injuries are to severe, you're not going anywhere." 

"But I must. Tempest is only partly true. The end of time is the end of this universal possibility, all universal possibilities have end of times. It is through these gateways that the gateway to all other universal possibilities are reached. You and Crono must prevent Tempest from reaching forever." Gesper said being helped while walking forward. 

"How do you propose I do that?"

"Simple, take my cane and destroy the lantern at the top of this post. This post generates the gateway to forever. She must not be able to possess it! Take my cane, dest...roy... it... n..ow." Gesper fell limp in Kain's arms. 

"Rest in peace old man." Kain said laying him down. He picked up the cane and it transformed. In his hands was now the greatest lance he had ever laid eyes upon. Shimmering white with the emblazoned seal of the dragoons. 

"Thank you ol..... Guru Baltesar." Kain stood up and lunged at the lantern that had before shone the light to Crono and friends in their battle with Lavos. With one strike the shattered glass fell to the floor. A windstorm flew from the wrecked lantern. 

"What! No, my gate to forever! No!" Tempest screamed as the winds escalated. 

"Desperate Gesper, but necessary." Spekkio stated holding himself to the ripples in the ground. 

"Crono, open a gate! I don't think this place has much longer to exist!" Kain said dropping from the wind-ravaged sky. 

"Do it Crono" Spekkio yelled grabbing what was left of Prometheus. Crono raised the pendent and the group jumped through just as a massive explosion ripped through the end of time, obliterating it. The energy well from the explosion followed them through the gateway. Crono look back to see Spekkio utter his last words before the power overran him. 

"Crono! She is alive! You have to find her to defeat.... ahhh!" Crono heard these last words as he saw Spekkio become warped and distorted. He snapped in half and the halves shimmered away into nothingness. The team jumped through the exit portal. It began to shut but wasn't fast enough. The energy from the explosion ripped through it, striking Crono, Kain and Prometheus to the ground, incinerating everything around, destroying the natural flow of time in that era, and wiping out everything that ever existed in it.


	4. Avenging Angel

Chapter 4

Avenging Angel

The energy from the explosion subsided. Crono checked himself to make sure he was still in one piece. He got up to look around and what he saw was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen. All around him was destroyed. Trees burned to gray dead stalks, grass none existent, the ground parched and cracked. Even the sky, what was once a blue haze was a bleak, black storm, nothingness, even more night then what would normally be seen. He walked out and reached a cliff a few meters in front of him. He looked out and another horror struck him. He looked down and saw Truce; or rather what was left of it, which was rubble. Not even burnt outhusks that would have shown that there was once civilization, just burnt and degraded ground with flaming rocks and smoldering cinders. Tears came to his eyes, not from the horrible sight, but from the searing heat that filled the skies. He pulled his face shield down. Doing this for the first time allowed him to see that once again his armor had changed. Now instead of the prism shell, it was made out of pure crystal; so pure was the light that emanated from it looked out of place in this world of darkness. Kain came up behind him. It seems that what effected him had also effected his newfound comrade. 

"You didn't need to change Crono it is just me." Kain said jokingly. 

"I think you should check yourself before you say that to me." Crono said placing his foot on a dead stump. 

"You like it, I think its me." Kain said self-indulgently. 

"Yes, the mirror look is definitely one for you. That way, when people look at you, they can look at themselves instead of having to stare at your ugly hide my friend." Crono said laughing. 

"That was a cheap shot, funny, but cheap." Kain said laughing. 

"How's, uhum, Prometheus?" Crono said. 

"That bucket of useless bolts, I think we left him offlined back at the end of time." 

"Incorrect my friend." Prometheus said appearing from the clearing in the woods. 

"Who you callin' friend tin can?" 

"Primary data tracks restored, personality protocols online. Condition nominal and call me Robo." Robo said 

"Its good to have you back Robo. What happened that made you go logical all of a sudden?" Crono asked clasping the appendage of his restored friend.

"A massive disruption in spacetime in a year following our battle with Lavos destroyed human kind. All that remained was a robot created by Lucca, namely Gato. Gato surpassed his programming and learned everything he could possibly know. He began to create robot after robot, each series improving in operation, but not interaction. Gato blamed the humans for their own demise and plotted to remove emotions once and for all. Doan and I returned, Doan being the last human was hunted and killed. I on the other hand was able to last longer, but it would come to no avail. I was outnumbered and out gunned. I had no choice but to surrender. Gato removed my emotional protocols, without which I became a tyrannical monster. He upgraded my fist to this gunarm and made me his right hand. Our interactions of 2317 were just a rouse to destroy you. He order the human infestation terminated. I almost carried it out." Robo said lowering his head.

"Well I don't understand robots or anything like that but I do understand that anything without emotion cannot control their actions. A thing without one can't check their gut to examine what they are doing." Kain said clasping Robo's appendage in his arm. 

"You know tin can, I can't help but notice your looking a little better, and can you explain what has happened to our armors?" Kain said noticing the changes that had occurred in the robot. Gone was the barrel shape faded yellow creation that they had met so long ago. This was replaced by a more human shape. His body encrusted with crystal and mirrored plating. His personality of the loveable Robo was restored and now the team had formed. 

Crono stood and thought about what Robo said about Gato. "Now you said a massive disruption of spacetime. Could it have been the destruction wrought on this era." Crono said as Robo looked out on to the devastated plains. 

"Affirmative. This destruction is definitely the disruption." Robo stated. 

"So what do we do from here. If the entire human race has been wiped off the face of the planet, we can't just undo that." Kain said practicing with his newly acquired lance. 

"We have to go back before the explosion in the end of time. We have to stop Tempest. With our new powers we could..." 

"The plan is not possible. The end of time was the only constant thing in the time stream. It is destroyed, it had no past or future to jump to, just a present. It is gone now, then, and forever." Robo said lowering his head again.

"There has to be something we can do to stop this!" Kain said throwing his lance into a dead tree trunk. 

"There may be a way to end all three of our problems." Robo said pondering. 

"Three?" Crono said dumbfounded.

"We cannot leave Gato in command of the future. He is worse then mother. Tempest and the restoration of the human race. Three." Robo explained. 

"Ok so spill it, how?" Kain said removing his lance from the tree. 

"All things exist in a time frame. Tempest must have some kind of an anchor time. Where she was originally from. We must force her away from that anchor and then face her in a void called Forever." Robo continued 

"Forever, Baltesar said to keep her away from there at all costs." Kain stated remembering Baltesar's final wish. 

"I know, but, it is the only place where we will have enough power to solve all three of our problems, not only to defeat Tempest, but also, restore our end of time and return Kain to his own universal possibility." Robo retorted.

"What is a universal possibility? I've heard people say it for a while now and I want to know what it is." Kain said scratching his head. 

"A universal possibility is like an era, just on a dimensional scale. Each person makes decisions everyday that affect the outcome of their lives. It is those choices that create branches on the tree that is their lives. These branches are universal possibilities or alternate universes." Robo answered. 

"Ok, so how do we get her to forever, and for that matter how do we get there?" Crono asked. 

"We must go to 12,000 BC, from there we can find the gateway." Robo stated. 

"Then we have to go there. We've got to stop her one way or another. We possess new weapons and armor, I think we have a shot of actually beating her." Kain said spinning his new acquired Lance. The two talked about their plan of attack, Crono could not concentrate on the discussion and left the circle.

Crono walked off, all he could think about was Marle. 

"Spekkio said she was alive" He thought. "I must find her, I can still feel her energy in the pendent." Crono said clasping his chest plate where the pendent now resided. "I will find her, wherever she has gone, whenever she has gone, I vow now and forever to dedicate my sword to finding her." Crono said thrusting his sword into the ground. He knelt down before and bowed his head. 

"Really, do you think that you can be so self-indulgent at a time like this." A voice rang out from the trees.

"Well that is a voice I thought I would never hear again." Crono said looking up. 

"Hello Crono, long time no see." The dark figure said jumping from the trees.

"You have a lot of nerve to face me here traitor." Crono said drawing his sword from the ground. 

"Don't kid yourself, you couldn't save him and you are not going to save yourself. I am under orders I'm afraid, prepare to die." The darkness said drawing a sword. 

"You will pay for what you have done Magus." Crono said remembering vividly the day the group ofMarle, Lucca and himself arrive here while searching for his mother. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

They arrived at Guardia Castle in 600 AD and laid their eyes upon a sea of red. Blood ran everywhere, not discriminating between guard or servant. They ran into the throne chamber. They saw a sight that almost made the very logical and in control Lucca cry. The chancellor laid dead cut in almost half, while Lenne sat on her throne, breathing but with a massive wound across her body. Lucca ran over to her to see if anything could be done, all Marle could do was cry on Crono shoulder. Crono, on the other hand, knew it wasn't time for remorse.

"Only a Scythe could have made those wounds." Crono said drawing his Katana. 

Marle looked up into his eyes to respond but could only see a light she had never seen before. "Why haven't I seen this before?" She thought. 

"Are you alright Marle?" Crono asked returning her to earth. 

"Yes, I am fine." She trailed off. This was a feeling she had felt before, but what was it she wondered. It was the same feeling she had after facing Death Mountain and bringing Crono back, a feeling of completeness. A feeling like she had never felt before. She knew not why she had these feeling, but knew not to say anything about them. Crono would just laugh at the idea and her father would have kittens, but for now at least in her mind she could be whole, holding on to the shoulder of her hero. 

"I think Marle's power can help her, otherwise Marle would have disappeared already." Lucca said standing up from the limp body of Lenne. 

"Alright I will try, Life 2!" Magical wind enveloped her as the spells power came to fruition. The life giving light energy enveloped Lenne. Her wound disappeared and her breathing began again.

Lucca sat Lenne up as Crono caught an exhausted Marle. "You're my knight in shinning armor." She whispered as the spell drain began to wear off. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Crono asked 

"Ahh... nothing, let's look at Lenne." Marle said dodging the subject. They walked over to Lucca and a still recovering Lenne. 

"How are you feeling my lady?" Crono ask kneeling down. 

"I am alive? How, the last thing I remember was Magus's blade running through my chest." Lenne said trying to get back up. 

"Now you just hold it right there, you are in no condition to move around. I was able to bring you back because you had the will to live. Don't throw that away overexerting yourself." Marle said sitting her back down. 

"So it was Magus, why?" Crono said tightening the grip he had on his now sheathed Katana. 

"He said he was under orders to prevent the creation of a princess four-hundred years from now. We said we had no idea what he was talking about. He did this in rage of our ignorance." Lenne said fighting back tears. "So many died, because we trusted a man who is pure evil." Lenne could no longer contain it, she looked away from the group not knowing what else to do.

"It is alright my lady, we'll find him." Crono said drawing his Katana.

"He went for the king's room, Gaurdia and Glenn were discussing your adventures when this happened." Lenne said pointing to the left hallway. 

"Lucca stay here, Marle, let's go." Crono said moving towards the back left stairs. Marle followed closely behind both for protection and for other reasons. They reached the top of the tower and the trail of flowing blood stopped.

"Maybe he didn't make it this far." Marle said dropping an arrow into her crossbow.

"We're not that lucky." Crono said arriving at the door of the king's room. He could hear the clanging and banging of swords and then a scream. He kicked open the door and dropped his katana at what his eyes were laid upon. Magus holding up his blood rusted scythe, Frog dangling on the end of it, lifeless. 

"Frog legs anyone?" Magus asked in an insane voice that wasn't his. He threw the body to the ground and drove his scythe into it seven more times before Marle could shoot an arrow. 

"Ok you don't like tenderized meat, I prefer mine cooked anyway." Magus said throwing a fireball at King Gaurdia. Crono ran and dove, he absorbed the fire and stood up, hurt but ready. "You're just like ants, ruining my picnic, oh well, time for the bug spray." 

"Magus why are you doing this?" Marle ask through tears shed for her dead friend.

"Because, I need to destroy you. Oh well, I can kill my adversaries and destroy you all at once now." Magus stated repositioning his scythe. 

"No more Magus, no more!" Crono said charging. Magus swung his hand aside and to it flew the Masamune, which in turn he turned on Crono. He had no time to react; Crono felt the sword rip through him. Magus twisted the sword making the pain that much more real. Magus ripped the sword free of Crono and he fell to the floor. Crono new that he had to hold on to his will, it was the only way the life spell would work. He quickly cast it and his wounds started to heal, he knew it wasn't as effective as Life 2, but it would keep him alive for now. 

Marle couldn't control herself. "You kill my friends as if they meant nothing to you, you have to pay for this." Marle said throwing her crossbow aside. 

"Oh please, do you actually think your magic can compare to mine?" Magus said brushing her off. 

"No, but mine is." Marle stepped aside to reveal a waiting Lucca. She fired one blast after another. Magus was forced back with every blow. He was push back to the window; he knew that in this weakened state there was no way he could win. 

"Goodbye girls, we shall meet again."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"That was the last time we saw you, what are you doing here?" Crono asked positioning his crystal saber. Magus came into the light but now with a different look. The pale skin, blue haired, blue wardrobed wizard was now replaced with a black wardorbed monster. 

"My sister sent me to retrieve you. She is really annoyed that you destroyed her gateway, but she is willing to let you have her anyway." Magus stated. The Magus Crono had come to tolerate was gone, replaced by this insane creature. He had become just another of Tempest's lackeys. 

"Now you pay, for Frog's death and for your treachery." Crono said his anger at its peak. 

"Just let me slip into something more comfortable." Magus said as a dark cloud enveloped him. What emerged was a new creature, still the eerie appearance of the magic lord, but now the distinct stench of complete evil filled him. 

"You see this is what people get if the are good to my sister. I am now more powerful then anything you could hope to comprehend, I am unaffected by age, disease, hunger, or any other pitiful weakness possessed by you humans. I am now a Vampire!" Magus screamed as he lunged at Crono. 

Crono quickly jumped out of the way and returned with one of his newfound spells, Prism Rain. Columns of rainbow light rained down from the heavens. Magus was thrown back into a tree alerting Robo and Kain of the battle. 

"Let's go." Kain yelled as he and Robo ran into the clearing. They reached the entrance of the forest and were reflected back. 

"No help from the peanut gallery." Magus said as he pounced on Crono. 

"Class ten intruder control repulsion field, nothing can break through." Robo said transforming his arm back into its default hand form. 

"We can't do anything for him!?" Kain yelled. 

"Negative, he is on his own." Robo said sitting down. 

Meanwhile, back in the clearing Crono was starting to feel the sting of darkness. "It is only a matter of time before you succumb to my power." Magus said biting at Crono's neck. 

"Not on your afterlife vampire, Prism Charge." Crono incanted the spell. The air filled with prism energy and exploded. Magus was once again sent flying. Crono jumped to his feet. 

"You don't get away this time nor do you defeat me, this time… you fall." Crono said preparing. 

"I have learned a trick or two since we last fought. Here is something that you should like, Crystal Cross!" Crono blurred towards Magus. He ripped through him forming a cross of light, the tips of which rejoined in the center and bolted skyward followed by a column of crystal that touched the sky. All Magus could do was drop to his knees. Crono returned to earth and his sword was at Magus's neck. "Yield monster." Crono ordered quietly. 

"You think it is that simple!" Magus said jumping away from Crono. 

"You see I took a keepsake from our last meeting, do you remember the Masamune?" Magus said drawing a sword from his back.

"How do you have that creature!" Crono said dropping into a fighting stance. 

"I ripped it from you as your little friend blasted me through a window. That reminds me, Lucca's death was my idea, I never liked her anyway." Magus said brandishing the sword. 

"Your going to pay for that, just like everything else, I should have destroyed you long ago." Crono said. The two forces drew together meeting in an explosion of light and dark energy. The sounds of the battle echoed throughout the entire world. These juggernauts fought, Crono with the ideals of light plus vengeance and Magus fought with all the dark powers he had achieve. The battle raged on for what seemed like days. Neither man was going to give up for what each fought for was the only thing that drove them, both men excellent sword fighters. The battle was fought by the sword alone, though each possessed superior magic skill, they wanted to settle the dispute with their physical prowess, a true duel if ever any existed. 

Kain meanwhile knew there had to be something he could. "If there was one thing old Cid taught me was that there must be a power source for every machine." He thought looking around. He saw a small bush that seems out of place. Yes, it was gray and withering, but it looked almost artificial. He reach to rip it out of the ground and to his surprise it disappeared.

"Robo, what in the name of the nexus is this?" Kain said wondering what the strange gray almost silver box in front of him was. The humming coming from it was almost rhythmical as Robo moved to examine it. 

"Class ten ICRF primary control unit. We can now deactivate the force field." Robo said punching in a few codes. 

The field collapsed, drawingMagus's attention. Crono thrusted the crystal blade of his sword through the creature that stood before him. Magus gasped, he knew he let his guard down and was defeated. 

"Withdraw your sword and let me die!" Magus yelled with what energy he had. Crono did so as the masamune fell to the ground. Magus dragged himself to a nearby tree where he thought he would remain for eternity. He looked down and the wound was gone. A smile flashed back upon his face. He stood and threw out his hand to retrieve his dropped sword. Nothing happened, the smile on his face disappeared as he struggled to call the masamune to him. 

"No! Masamune come to your master!" Magus screamed desperately. Crono stepped forward and picked up the sword. 

"Unhand my property rat!" Magus attempting to cast a spell, once again nothing happened. 

"Wha...?" Magus was dumbfounded. 

"You can't die, your already dead. Tempest stripped you of your life when she turned you into this. All my blade did was remove any power you once had. All you can do now is stand there, until the sun comes up and burns you to a crisp. I have retrieved one fallen friends sword and restored honor to another. Frog and Lucca, you are now avenged." Crono stated drawing the masamune to his face, which he bowed in silence. Magus just slumped down and whimpered. Kain and Robo began towards Crono but, seeing him in the somber state they froze and joined him in it. Crono arose and he turned to his friends. 

"There is something I must do, come." He said opening a gate. 

Kain looked over at the fallen villain, "Don't worry, a little sun will do wonders to your complexion..... it will remove it from existence, see ya!" Kain said jumping through the gate. 

Magus sat there, he was beaten, no powers, very few hours to live. A light-struck through the canopy of the forest, he realized that his grasp on time was off, the sun rose in the east. Magus screamed, but it was muffled as he combusted into nothingness. He would do no more evil.


	5. Gone but Not Forgotten

Chapter 5

Gone, But Not Forgotten

The group jumped clear of the closing gate. They were in a forest again, but this time it was there. Crono began forward, Robo and Kain stayed with him, not knowing their destination. Robo looked around and then remembered that this was the mountain where Crono, Marle, and Lucca had originally found the masamune. They walked all the way up to the wind cave. 

Crono stopped, "Kain can you wait here, this is more of a matter for Robo and I." Crono stated holding Kain's advance. 

"Sure, but remember we do still have Tempest to deal with." Kain said stopping. 

Crono andRobo walked into the cave. There before them stood a stone model of frog that served as his burial marker. 

"First I find Lucca shattered to pieces and now I find that frog was killed as well! Tempest must pay for this." Robo said turning the barrel on his gunarm. 

Crono looked back and then return his eyes to the final resting place of his fallen friend. He unsheathed the masamune and he looked the sword over. Still shimmering as it had in the battle with Lavos. 

"Well my friend, I promised to return this to you and I fulfilled that promise." Crono said placing the sword in the opening in the held out hands of the statue. 

Robo looked around as Crono stood in silence. He felt something, something didn't seem right. He scanned the area and found something. 

"Power surge in the area, unknown source." He said analyzing the data collected. 

Crono looked and was about to ask what he meant, but his words were stifled by a burst of light striking the sword. Before them Frog appeared his newly reacquired sword in hand. 

"Eye, thou hast kept thy promise and to thee I am truly grateful." Frog said as the light continued to envelop him. Crono and Robo just stood and looked. 

"But, thouest wilt need this blade in the coming battle. Thou must find all of us, fallen friends of the battle with lavos. The sword shall collect the energy they possess and their powers will become thy power, only with that shall thee have the strength to overcome Tempest." Frog's image began to shimmer. 

"Allow the sword to guide thee to where thouest need to be, my powers become thine powers, use them wisely." Frog's image turned into a shimmering ball of light, which enveloped the sword. 

Crono heard Frog's voice in his head. "I shall guide thee to where thouest need to go, take the sword, and thy destiny." The words resounded in Crono's mind as he removed the sword from the statue.

"Now bring the swords together." Frog's voice stated again. Crono unsheathed the crystal saber. With the masamune in his left hand and the crystal saber in his right he brought his hands together. The swords came together in an explosion of light throwing Robo back. A column of light blasted through the ceiling of the cave. 

Crono dropped his left hand and into his right landed a new weapon. No longer a sword but a double-edged lance. Each blade was shaped like a flame, one curving up the other down. Each the color of light itself if such a thing exists. The blades radiated, shinning light on all the dark corners and crevices of the cave. Crono's first thought was that he had no idea how to use such a weapon as this, but that thought was quickly erased. He held out his newly acquired weapon and with rhythm of what was like a ballet, he turned the blade. The lance spun around him like the moon spins around a planet. Two independent bodies brought together by one force. His movements were fluid. Not stopping to reposition, just one continuous movement. Slicing, thrusting, spinning, cartwheels, and barrel rolls, all together, never stopping. 

"How am I doing this?" Crono thought to himself. He turned around and the motions came to a rest. 

Before him were the images of Gesper and Frog. 

"You now have the power, but you still need to collect the four other primary attributes, strength, courage, determination, and valor. Only with these five attributes can you defeat Tempest. The blade can form gates to where you need to go, but be warned that the challenges you face will be the most difficult ordeals of your life. But; you must be prepared, you must win these battles otherwise you will not stand a chance against Tempest. We wish you luck; we have done all we can, the rest is up to you." Their images said in unison as the shimmered and entered the lance. 

Crono walked over to the fallen Robo and helped him up. Robo took the stretched out hand and what he saw surprised him. Crono, the teenager he had known for so long had grown up. The strength he possessed now was beyond any scanning parameter he had. He knew that this matter was far from over. 

Crono and Robo returned to the waiting Kain. Kain noticed the lance that Crono was carrying. 

"Since when did I say you could have a better weapon then me?" Kain said brandishing his own lance. 

"Funny my friend, but we have work to do, the lance is supposed to be able to form gates. We are about to partake in four trials to determine whether we can defeat Tempest, all of us are going to have to be at our best. Are we ready?" Crono said as he spun the lance over his head. He released it, it flew and began to spin in front of them. A gate was formed and they jumped in not knowing what laid before them. 

"Taking me where I need to be, I swear that one of these locations will be yours Marle, I will find you." Crono thought as he jumped through.


	6. Strength to Succeed

Chapter 6

The Strength To Succeed

The trio walked into what looked to be Magus's castle. They looked around for any signs of life and found none. "Is that thing broken?" Kain asked. 

"No my friend, you are where you are supposed to be." A voice resounded from somewhere unknown. 

"Voice pattern analysis complete, assumption confirmed..., subject Lucca pattern match." Robo said looking around. 

"Lucca?!" Crono said joining him in his search. 

"That's right, I am here to present you with the strength you gave me. Everyone in town saw me as a nerd who enjoyed something that shouldn't even be understood, except you. You have been my friend since we were two years old. You gave me the strength to continue, both in looking for new friends and in my work. For this I am grateful. Now I wish to present the strength to you. This is a battlefield, at the end is the exit. As long as you are here you cannot use techs or open gates. What you must do here is simply have the strength to reach the end. I wish you luck. 

"Well, I guess we have to go." Crono said pulling the hilt of the lance from his side. He held it up and two bright flashes of light signaled the formation of the blades. 

Robo spun the barrel of his gunarm. He scanned the interior of the castle. "There are approximately two-hundred and forty monsters in this castle spanning sixty battles, our work is cut out for us." Robo stated as Kain drew his lance. 

"Come on, nothing we can't handle." Kain said moving towards the door. Crono and Robo followed.

Battle after battle they fought, each more difficult then the last. The finally reached the end chamber. The great hall of Magus's castle. They looked around and found nothing. 

"Now what?" Kain asked annoyed. 

"Now you must face the greatest challenge of strength." Lucca's voice resounded. "Now you must prove your strength, you must fight Lavos and win again." Lucca's voice disappeared as Lavos familiar scream shot through the room. 

"We have to fight Lavos, again?" Robo asked remembering how difficult it was the first time. 

"Ok, will someone please tell me who or what is Lavos!?" Kain stated as the floor began to shake. Cracks started ripping through the floor. 

"Nevermind, I think I am about to find out." Lavos's shell broke through and they all stood at the ready. Fire began raining from the heavens, throwing Kain and Robo to the ground. 

Crono had covered himself with the lance offering him enough protection. He lunged at Lavos striking him with a repeated barrage of slashes and thrust. Lavos screamed in pain. Crono jumped and came down cutting Lavos's external flesh in half. Lavos began to shudder. Crono began to chip the shell away piece by piece. He jumped and lobbed the lance at the very center of the shell and it drove through. Cracks ran down from where the lance had hit. Lavos shattered, his shell pieces came raining down. Crono spun the lance charging two force fields, which he tossed over Kain and Robo; protecting them from the falling debris. Crono quickly turned around expecting to fight the core. There was no core, just Lucca. 

"Lucca!" Crono yelled as he recalled the blades of his lance and galloped over to her. 

"You have succeeded, you have proven yourself to be a strong warrior. In spite of this you must remember that brute strength is not the way to solve a conflict, don't battle if you can avoid it. My strength is now your strength, I will be waiting within your heart until the day this battle is over and Marle, Frog, Robo and all of our other friends are free once more. Until then, the gate block is open; your next challenge awaits. I wish you luck." Lucca shimmered and disappeared into the lance. 

Crono walk over and checked on his comrades. They were already getting up. 

"So, that was Lavos. He was even more powerful then Zeromus." Kain said shaking his head. "That lance of yours has to have a lot of power in it." He said staring at it. 

"Not just power, but now strength as well. Come, our next trial awaits, ready Robo." Crono said as Robo came up behind him. 

"Affirmative, systems check out." Robo said brushing himself off. Crono threw the lance and a gate formed. The trio jumped through all the time wondering what laid in store for them in the trial of courage.


	7. Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

Chapter 7

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

"Time check complete, no exact reading could be acquired but judging from the appearance I would approximate early B.C. periods." Robo stated as he look around. 

"Big metal man right as ever." The trio heard. 

"Ayla? Ayla is that you?" Crono asked. 

"Voice pattern confirmed, subject Ayla." Robo stated. 

"Yes, Crono. Crono now strong, but need courage." Ayla said as she appeared in front of them. 

"Ayla?! What happened, fallen friends is what Frog said." Crono inquired. 

"Land get cold, Ayla get sick. Ayla couldn't fight new enemy, worse then reptite, looked like prism girl." Ayla said in her normal charming way. 

"Tempest, she killed you?" Crono said pulling his lance hilt out in anger. 

"Yes, but now me here to help you find courage." Ayla said blowing a kiss to Crono. All the while Kain stood dumbfounded by the beauty of this woman. The light that engulfed her was just adding to the beauty he saw. 

"Warning, abnormal heart rate detected." Robo stated as his medical monitors were still functioning. 

"It's nothing, I am alright." Kain said try to hide what he was feeling. The ploy worked, though he didn't know whether it was because he was good at masking his feeling or if it was just because Robo didn't understand emotions. The thought passed his mind and he returned to his lance. He knew there was no way it could ever be. He was no longer capable of that kind of emotion himself. He knew he lost that ability when he tried to kill Cecil and Rosa, which was the primary reason he went to Mt Ordeals that faithful day. He just wished, dreamed that he could, but knew it wasn't possible.

Meanwhile, Crono and Ayla had continued their discussion about the circumstances of her death. 

"Me must get you to take trial now." Ayla said stopping the discussion short. 

"Of course, what are we up against?" Crono asked. Ayla shook her head, 

"Ayla not know, me just know that you must be ready." Ayla said warily. 

Crono just shrugged, "Alright, where do we go?"

"Crono follow Ayla, Ayla show Crono and friends." Ayla said running off in to the jungles that surrounded them. 

"Come, we must follow her." Crono ordered dashing after her. Kain was all too happy to obliged and ran after him. Robo brought up the rear. They cut through the dense, green jungle and finally reached their destination.

"This looks like Dactyl Mountain." Crono said looking around at the red rock cliffs and yellow green grass. 

"Yep, Crono must reach Dactyl peak alive. I will be there, good luck." With that Ayla spun and shot up and was gone. 

"Come on let's go. We have a job to do." Crono said leaving, Kain and Robo followed shortly behind.

They ran to the next clearing; the same rock cliffs surrounded them, but something was missing, there were no monsters. 

"Robo, can you scan for signs of animal life other then us?" Crono asked spinning his lance hilt. 

"Affirmative, scanning." Robo answered. 

"No other life signs found." Robo returned after his scan was complete. 

"Then why are we herrrrrrreeeeeee!" Crono yelled as he fell down a hole. 

"That opening was not there before." Robo stated. 

Kain was walking over to him and a hole formed under him and he fell as well. 

"What an interesting......" He was cut short as he to fell through a newly formed hole.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Kain dropped down onto the ground again. 

"Sky? In a cave?" He looked around, the sight was beautiful. Light of an unknown source shinning off crystals in the rock walls making an exquisite rainbow effect on all of the surroundings. He heard waterfalls in the distance. 

"Where there is running water there has to be a source." He ran to the place the waterfalls filled the river with crystal clear, blue water. He looked around and heard some movement in the distance. Instinctively he pulled his lance. He saw the figure clearly as it walked out of the shadows. 

"Ayla, you scared me for a second." Kain said seeing that the figure was Ayla, the apparition who seemed to be Crono's friend. He thought to himself, 

"This isn't right, that's not the same woman I saw before." Kain thoughts were broken as armor clad warriors dropped from every direction. He knew these people, they were men and women that were under his command when he was the dragoon leader.

"Guys, how did you get.... huh?" His words of greeting were cut off as lances were pushed into his face. 

"Hey, what's?" Was all he could say before another figure appeared through the waterfall.

"Interesting tactic to escape my ex-friend, but it will do you no good. You're coming back with us to pay for your crimes traitor." Kain knew the voice but didn't want to except it.

"Cecil?" He muttered. 

"That is king to you, garbage. Thank you miss Ayla, your help was most appreciated." Cecil yelled out to a waiting Ayla. 

"Yes, me thought he didn't have place here. He love me, this teach him that that not possible for him." Ayla yelled back. 

Kain just stood there, not knowing what to say or do. "No, why?" Were the only words Kain could manage. 

"Because traitor, this is your punishment. You betrayed everything you believed in because your mind was weak. You allowed Golbeze to control your mind and committed atrocities to numerous to count. I am going to enjoy watching you rot away in a small cell in Baron, stripped of any dignity you once had, the laughs and screams of children walking by you as they watch what's left of your rotting carcass wither away into nothingness." Cecil said laughing. 

"Wait, even after what I have done, Cecil would never say anything like that. This is fake, who are you?" Kain regained his confidence and stood his ground. The lances that held him in his place disappeared. Cecil's image bent and when it came back into focus he was tied up. He turned around and saw the same fate befall Ayla. 

"You couldn't have just excepted what your eyes saw, but no, you had to be Mr. Spoil-my-fun. You always were the most annoying thing to control, always having your pangs of conscience, it was sickening." A new voice rang out. Kain knew this voice and drew his lance. 

"Zeromus, you were destroyed!" Kain said. 

"No, only laid into dormancy, now I am free. I will start with this world, darkness shall fall, and I shall be a god again." Zeromus's screams filled the entire cavern. 

"You won't go anywhere but to your doom Zeromus." Kain said beginning at his opponent. 

"Are you saying that you have the courage to fight your greatest foe all alone. I can take control of you and destroy you from the inside out, is that what you want?" Zeromus said calling forth his energy. 

"My duty as a dragoon is to protect my friends, if that means losing my life, then so be it!" Kain said jumping. He lunged his lance at Zeromus. It struck with a thunderbolt. The sound reverberated throughout the cavern and Zeromus hunched over. Kain landed and immediately ran over to Ayla. He used his dagger to cut the ropes that bound her. 

"You do well dragoon." Ayla stated as the cave disappeared as well as Zeromus and Cecil.

"What happened where did everything go?" Kain said dumbfounded. 

"Was never there, that was trial of courage, and you pass." Ayla said in her normal way. 

"But I saw them and you and...?" Kain stopped as he remembered what had been said. 

"You said about me loving you, Cecil said I was a traitor, why?" Kain continued. 

"Those were dragoon man's worst fears. Being believe traitor by your friend and not ever being able to love again. You overcame and protect where needed, proved not a traitor to self. Of other, not able to love..." Ayla stopped. She jumped out of the tree that she was sitting in. She stepped in front of him and gave him a passionate kiss. 

"That also not true. Dragoon man wait, Crono and Robo done soon, they come, I must go." Ayla said running away in her normal animal like way.

Kain sat down on the clearing where they group first fell through. He had a new sense in him, a feeling of being complete. For the first time since before the crystal wars he felt... whole.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Robo was able to slow his descent using newly gained thrusters. He looked around him and saw what look to be Guardia Dome. 

"Analyzing... Complete, multiple anomalous readings but no true life signs." Robo stated completing his scans. 

"That is because you destroyed all those wretched organic imperfections Prometheus." Robo heard a voice resound in his cpu. 

"Gato, but how, how did I get here?" Robo ask dumbfounded. 

"You have been lost for so long Prometheus, it is time to restore your programming to make you recall who and what you are. My killing machine, because of you I was able to rid my world of the infernal humans. We are now and always will be the superior beings. I must thank you, you were a proficient and obedient killing machine." Gato said as a light shinned near his feet. Lucca's body lay there burnt and broken.

"Now only one human remains, you must finish the job you started." Gato's voice sent sabers of pain through Robo's cpu. 

"Negative, I would never...." Robo couldn't speak. This was his master, his creator. Would a man speak to disobey the word of his god and creator? He could not, he dared not and yet this was Lucca, his best friend. Could he throw away everything she meant to him he asked himself. He thought about it. He just stood over her lifeless body not moving. 

Gato shook as he saw that his servant wasn't listening. "Do it! You cannot resist me!" Gato screamed.

Robo lowered his gun, it was aimed right at Lucca's head. 

"I... cannot! I will not! It is time I avenge her death Gato!" Robo stated turning and laying down a barrage of fire against Gato. Each blast just passed through its target. Robo continued to fire as the area went black. Ayla appeared before him, he jumped up and fired some more rounds at her, with the same results as before. 

"Register subject Ayla, apologies for firing, but where is Gato?" Robo asked realizing Gato was gone. 

"Big metalman never here. Metalman face his worst fear and overcame. I knew he would. Come join Dragoon man, we wait, Crono's test much more difficult.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Crono dropped but, like a cat, was able to land on his feet. He looked around and saw nothing, desolate blackness. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him. Instinctively he placed his hand on the leathery hilt of the shinning lance, turning to see a sight that surprised him. 

"Lucca?" He said dumbfounded. She said nothing. He looked her over and saw something different in her. The happy-go-lucky expression was gone. It was replaced with a distant almost black expression, as if she had been possessed by a demon. She walked up to him and took the lance from him. 

"I was wrong, you didn't deserve this." Lucca said coldly. 

Crono could only scough and wonder, "What do you mean,... Lucca?" He said with a quivered in his voice.

"Don't you dare say mine name again, you do not have the right to have those words cross your lips." She said angrily. 

"What, why?" He said taken aback.

"It was your fault I died, you didn't have the strength to face me, you're weak and pathetic. I still don't know why I called you friend for so long." She said turning her back on him. 

"What... Why would you say such a thing I...?" He said as his eyes brimmed with tears. 

"You call yourself a warrior, thou can't even stand up against the peltings of a little girl, thou art more of weak nave then I thought." Frog appeared, he too with the same dark and demonic demeanor as Lucca. 

"If thouest had the strength of a true warrior thouest would have been the victor over Magus and I would live, but look at thee. You sit here sniveling and crying because thouest lost a friend, pitiful." Frog and Lucca surrounded him.

Crono could think of nothing to respond to this. 

"You no strong, you weak, like reptite." Ayla stated running at him from behind them. 

"You can't stop prism girl, you too weak." Ayla said laughing.

Crono fell to his knees. These were the very people who had supported him through the battle with Lavos, even put their lives on the line to bring him back from the dead. But, now they said that he didn't have the very strength they were trying to give him. 

"You sit on your knees crying and you thought you deserved a princess, ha!" Marle appeared behind and kicked him to the floor. 

"Bow before me like the weakling peasant you are." Marle screamed. 

Crono flipped back to his feet and dried his eyes.

"No! Lucca, your death was not only inevitable but also necessary to make me take this trip through time in the first place." Crono said ripping his Lance back from her. Lucca disappeared in a screaming light.

"Frog, there was nothing we could do, Magus had already beaten you." Crono said turning to Ayla as the image of Frog dissipated. 

"Ayla, how was I supposed to stop the natural flow of time to save you? You knew from our travels that an ice age was going to start." Ayla's image disappeared. Now only the image of Marle remained. 

"And you, I won't even dignify you by calling you Marle. She wouldn't say those things to anyone let alone the man she loves and the man who loves her, be gone!" Crono said slashing his lance blade across the image. 

"You do well Crono." Ayla said walking up from behind him. 

Crono didn't turn, 'I said begone!" Crono stated angrily. 

"That Ayla not me, came from Crono's mind. I real Ayla, here to tell you pass trial. You show courage enough to know deaths not your fault. Come, we go meet metal man and dragoon man." Ayla said as she led him back out.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

They all came together at the peak of Dactyl Mountain. 

"So how did it go for you Crono?" Kain asked. 

"Hard, but I am here aren't I." He responded.

"You passed trials, you show courage, but two still remain. Even worse then this. Luck be with you." Ayla said as her image jumped into the lance like usual but this time a stream of light jumped into Kain as well. 

"I will be with dragoon man, me love you, if you love me." Her voice resounded loud enough for only him to hear. Kain lit up, a new power filled him, he was now complete. 

"Are you done now?" Crono asked jokingly. He threw the lance to form a gate. 

Robo and Crono jumped through the gate as Kain stood there and looked the land over. 

"I could learn to live here." He said as he jumped through and it disappeared behind him.


	8. So We Must Press On

Chapter 8

So we must press on

They landed in the world of 12,000 bc. "The kingdom of Zeal, before its destruction." Crono said looking around. They walked around the familiar landscape. Floating islands set in the skies above a barren world. Crono looked around and wondered what could be in store for them in the trial of determination. They walked up to Zeal Palace and walked inside. 

"We must be very careful not to block any actions we took here four weeks ago your time." Robo said reminding Crono of Baltesar's warning. He walked through the door and saw Schala being chased by some palace guards. 

"If I can stop this now, I can stop it forever!" Crono said jumping the guardrail. 

"Crono, wait!" Kain screamed as he joined him. 

"Huh? Who are these two?" One of the pursuers asked.

"Princess Schala, stay behind me." Crono said as his lance blades flared.

"Ok, but who are you warriors?" Schala asked cowering behind him. 

"We were sent by Melchior to save you my lady." Crono said as he charged towards the guards. 

A blast of energy shot at him and threw him back to where he started. He looked up to see the extended hand of Queen Zeal. 

"I don't know who you are but I will not let another meddle in my affairs." She screamed as she started lobbing blasts of energy at Crono. He raised his lance and redirected them towards the guards. One by one the guards fell to their queen's blasts. 

Zeal was getting angered that her guards could be so incompetent. 

"Fool! Stand still!" She screamed as Crono shifted to block the energy bolts. 

"Fine, if that's what you want." Crono said as he spun the lance. An energy bolt hit and it was reflected back to Zeal. The bolt struck her with a thud and she fell back. Her anger now took control of her and all sense of reason was lost. 

"Infidel, you do not know the powers you deal with." She screamed as a dark aura formed around her.

"Now witness the power of the mammoth machine, witness the power of Lavos!" She said as thunder filled the room. Bolts of darkness flared in every direction around her, destroying her once beautiful palace. 

Crono and Kain jumped to the ready. 

"Now you all shall parish, even you my beautiful little Schala. It is too bad you had to be such a brat; oh well, now all that power will be mine." She smirked as she said this. 

"Not if I have anything to do with it!" Crono said jumping to strike. Zeal waved her hand and he was struck down by lightning. Kain lunged for an attack only to meet the same fate.

"Fools, you have no hope of ever touching... ahh!" Her gloat was cut short by the strikes of Robo's chain gun. 

"In the words of a fallen friend, wanna bet!" He said as he unloaded his blast clip. Each strike exploded as it hit its target. Zeal turned and started collecting her dark energy. 

"You don't have anything I want metal man; but here, you can have this to remember me by." She said as a cloud of energy around her hand solidified and ripped away. The bolt cleaved through him as he fell back from its impact. He lie there broken and dying. 

"ROBO!" Kain screamed as he felt a power fill him that he had never felt before. Energy surrounded him as he felt the power surging through him and around him. 

"Your going to pay for that bitch!" Kain said as he leaped into the air. He drew his lance and from it a targeted beam shot towards and through Zeal. She shuddered as she felt the energy tear through her. She looked up just in time to twinge as the lance flew through her as well. She dropped to the ground, staggered and fell to her knees. Crono took the opportunity and launched an attack of his own. His lance made the shape of an asterisk across her body. Energy tore through her throwing her back against the wall of the landing. She staggered to her feet as both warriors prepared to finish her off. Kain lunged his energy lance again but this time the lance was redirected back at him. As he moved to dodge, he was struck by an energy bolt and thrown back into the wall. Crono charged and was greeted by a point blank ranged blast that threw him to the lower level of the stairs. They both struggled to get to their feet. 

"Now, you both parish, ah hahahaha... huh... ahh!" Her maniacal laughter was cut to the quick by another blast of energy hitting her from behind. 

"I thought I destroyed you... what?!" Zeal screamed as the sight she looked upon turning around waylaid her. There before all three of them was Schala in her true form. She stood there, surrounded by an aura of light. Her cloak had become a cape, revealing the armor underneath. Her eyes flashed silver, as was the color of her armor. She wore silver boots followed by bare, and rather shapely legs. The armor was shimmering silver and blue that was connected to arms with gloves of the same color. The tiara she wore was the same color and held her silver and blue hair in a ponytail.

"Two can play at this game mother. I didn't have the power to stop you before; but thanks to your over use of the power of the mammoth machine, my pendant's power has been released. Now witness the power I possess. I cannot allow you to hurt these warriors anymore nor can I allow you to release Lavos. For crimes against Zeal and its citizens and for crimes against the past, present and future I hereby relieve you of your throne and sentence you to death for treason against the people of every time and everywhere." Schala said as a column of energy surrounded her. 

"You will find that it is not so easy to take my throne from me child." Zeal stated as a dark energy column shrouded her. As the energy built Crono was able to stagger over to where Kain was and heal them both. They could only watch as history changed before their very eyes. All the while Crono could only wonder what was happening to the timeline. Would it be damaged beyond repair? Would their battle with Lavos even be necessary? All questions that he couldn't get out of his mind when the crucial moment occurred. Both women collected the energy they had been building and launched it at each other. Both blasts struck each other dead center. An energy well filled the strike point and it grew as more power was applied to it. Both women began to shift in their positions and Crono knew something was about to give. At that moment the energy well collapsed in on itself. The result was an unstable temporal gate. It began to pull all four of them into it. The gravity well was too strong to escape and they were soon being whisked through time. They landed in the null zone, the place where they had always met Lavos and this time was no exception. 

"This seems familiar!" Crono yelled to Kain as they both got to their feet. 

"How so?" Kain ask ignorantly. 

"This is exactly what happened the last time I was in Zeal." He said as he saw Zeal, riding Lavos. He knew what happened next and did not want to relive his own death.

"This ends now! No Zeal, No Lavos, No Tempest! Everything back to normal!" He screamed as Lavos launched his meteor rain attack. The attack leveled Schala and Kain as it had Marle and Lucca before. This time however, it had no effect on him. He stood ready for the deathblow, he had no ruby knife to use this time but his lance was more then adequate. The optical blast that destroyed him before could not penetrate the shielding power of his lance. He spun it as the energy wave struck and pushed him back. His thoughts were strangely sharp at this point. 

"For Marle, Lucca, Frog, Schala, and everyone else that fell to both of these creatures and their spawn, I will end it here!" He screamed to himself as he gained a footing and started pushing back on the energy well. He then threw it back towards Lavos and it tore through the outer shell. All Zeal could do was stand there helplessly as the energy split through the outer shell and shot off into all directions. The frequency increased as the destruction of Lavos was once again assured, and then.... the explosion threw Crono and Kain back through another open gate. When Crono came too, he looked around and saw a room filled with fog along the floor and a blue lighting. He saw Kain and a repaired Robo staggering to get up. 

"What hit me?" Kain asked as he looked around and saw Crono and Robo. 

"Hey you bucket of bolts, its good to see you up and around!" Kain said ecstatically. 

"Likewise, good to be back." He said in now more humanized voice. 

"You were never gone." A female voice rang through the chamber. Schala transformed form appeared before them. 

"Tempest! Prepare to die witch!" Kain said drawing his lance. 

"Kain stand down. This is Schala, if it were Tempest we would most likely be dead already." Crono ordered. 

"Very good Crono." Schala retorted. 

"So did we do it? Did we change time?" Crono asked.

"Sadly no. The timeline you just witnessed was created to test your determination. When the moment came, you thought of protecting your friends not defeating your enemy. You stood your ground on that belief and would not budge. It is that belief that will lead you to victory. Godspeed to you Crono." Schala finished as she shimmered away. A gate formed and they all knew it was time to go. 

"One more piece left, let's punch it." Crono said jumping through the portal. Kain and Robo looked at each other and wondered what was next as they disappeared into the portal after him.


	9. Torn Between Love and Honor

Chapter 9

Torn between love and honor

As the gate closed behind them they landed in what appeared to be Fiona's Forest in 1000 AD. 

"Wasn't this destroyed?" Crono inquired. 

"Negative, no temporal shock detected." Robo responded. 

"Hey, why look a gift horse in the mouth?" Kain asked slumping down on the ground under a nearby tree. 

"What do you mean?" Crono asked. 

"Maybe the powers that be decided we needed a break. So they sent us here too take said break." Kain said removing his helmet and letting his brown hair flow out. 

"Maybe your right, but still. Robo scan for anything out of the ordinary other then the obvious." Crono ordered removing his hand from the hilt of the lance. 

"Acknowledged." Robo said setting to the task. He looked around scanning in a complete arc around the forest. Something caught his attention and his gunarm was activated. 

"Battle alert, we are surrounded." He stated as he fired into the woods. Crono called upon his lance but could not see what Robo was firing at. His question was answer when he saw an explosion. A robot fell to the ground and then a whole brigade appeared out of nowhere and started to fire. Kain jump up and forced his helmet back on. Crono spun around and sliced up some of those that were behind them. Kain thrust his at some that were approaching him. Even with all the ones they were defeating, more and more just kept coming. 

"We've got a problem here." Kain stated kicking some of the robots that got too close. 

"Affirmative, I detect at least ahh......." Robo fell to ground as a round disk was fired at his back. Crono looked around just to see the same fate be fall him. At this Kain jumped but was also struck down. 

"Check that one's condition." One of Robots ordered. 

"Condition stable, we can transport him." Another responded. 

"Good, her Excellency will want to deal with these organics personally." The leader said as Crono and Kain were drug behind the group. 

"What of this one?" Another of the robots asked. 

"It is not registered in my datalinks, which means it is not by the creator. Both the creator and her Excellency will be pleased with today's quandary. Bring it." The leader said moving out. 

"By your word field marshal." The other said in unison.

……………………………………………………………………..

Crono came to as they reached what looked to be the location of Truce Village, but this was something much different. 

"What is this?" He asked. 

"Field marshal, this one is awake. Should we stun him again?" Crono's captor asked. 

"Negative, energy cuff him." With that, manacles were placed around his hands and an energy field activated over them. 

"What is this!?" He said more forcefully this time. 

"By her excellency's word, this is where all organics end up. Truce slave camp." The leader informed him. Crono looked around and saw a sight that almost made him sick. Humans looking much like they did in the future when Marle, Lucca, and he had been sent there. This time, however, robot slave drivers were controlling them. However, he couldn't see what if anything they were doing. It just appeared as if they were doing useless busy work such moving dirt from one place to another and then moving all of it back. He wondered to himself what was the point. 

"Why, why do you have them doing such ridiculous things?" Crono yelled.

"Because, it keeps them working until we can find some purpose for them." The leader responded. 

"As if there was ever any reason for organics." Another retorted. 

"Silence fool,' the leader barked 'Her excellency and at least some of the creator are organics, if they heard you say that, they would have you melted down and turned into wind chimes." The leader finished. Crono looked away and saw Gaurdia forest in the distance. 

"Who are these people you call her Excellency and the creator." Crono asked. 

"They are our leaders. They are the ones who control this whole planet, us and everything on it. You will meet them soon enough." The leader said as they crossed into the forest. The forest was a familiar path but there something alien about it this time. No monsters, no birds, not even the sound of wind blowing. What could have happen to this place and who were these two who seemed to be the absolute monarchy? The castle gates were now in sight and there was not much time before he would meet his captors. Kain and Robo were still out, so this would be a problem he would have to face on his 

In the castle hall the candles that once made this a bright place of welcome were now extinguished making it a dreary, dark, and all together foreboding room.

"Hold them here, I will make my report to the masters." The leader said as the others waited. 

"By your word, Field Marshall." The others said in unison. As the leader left the room Crono noticed a strange glowing. He looked down and sure enough the pendent was going nuts. 

"She's here!" He thought to himself. 

"Could these mechanized maniacs be using her as a handmaiden or something like that?" He asked himself. Then he thought deeper and came to a startling revelation. 

"No...." Was all he could think about this one. These robots keep calling their leader "her" excellency, could it be that she has...; he couldn't even imagine why she would be so cruel or how. He felt a gun in his back as the robot yelled at him to be quite. Meanwhile, in the throne room the leader was ready to make a report. 

"Speak, Field Marshall. This better be good." This order came from a shrouded figure sitting on the throne. 

"You don't want what happen to your predecessor happening to you now do you?" Another figure standing off to the side added. The leader recalled the image of the last field marshal being rip apart by ravenous slaves bent on revenge; disarmed and at low power. 

"No, ma'am. We have found two organics in the southern forest area." He said wryly. 

"And I am supposed to care for what reason?" The figure on the throne asked. 

"Because they and their companion destroy fifty-seven of my battle units milady." The leader responded. The two figures just looked at each other. 

"Wait,' The side figure returned, 'you said they and their companion and yet you only reported two organics. Who or what is this companion?" She asked.

"It is a type of battle unit we have never seen before." He responded.

"Hum, perhaps this was worth our time your excellency." The side figure returned. 

"Hum, bring them in. I want to see the organics that can rip apart your units." Said the one on the throne. 

"Yes and this battle unit that I did not create." Said the one to the side.

"By your words, miladies!" He saluted and turned around. The light went dim and the figures stood there. 

"What do you think?" The one to the side asked. 

"Hum..." Was the only response from the one on the throne. 

The leader stepped back into the hall and bid the rest forward. Crono was force forward by a gun in his back. As they entered he noticed that what was once the brightest room in castle now was as dark as night. With the exception of a few spotlights near the throne, blackness covered the room. Crono saw the two figures at the throne and hoped what he thought wasn't true.

"Remove his helmet field marshal." The figure on the throne said. Crono cringed, as he knew the voice. The robot ripped off his helmet; it was the first time in a long time that it had been removed. The figure on the throne just stood and gawked at the sight before her. Crono wondered what was so interesting to her. 

"Lights!" She ordered. Instantly the blackness of the room was chased away and for the first time Crono saw his captors. Marle stood before him in a black dress and the once emerald eyes turned a dark purple almost black color. Her attendant was Lucca, or at least part of it was. What stood before him was a combination of woman and machine. 

"Well, it looks like we both have gone through a few changes ehh lover?" Marle said stepping down from the throne. He didn't understand what she meant. Marle seeing his confusion beckoned one of her human slaves to bring her a mirror. 

"Perhaps you didn't know." She said showing him his own reflection. Gone was the sixteen-year-old complexion and spiky red hair, It was replaced by the face of a mature warrior, his hair long and now silver. He didn't know any of this had happened and wondered why. 

"Forget me, what are you doing? Especially you Lucca; I thought you had been killed!" He yelled standing up from his forced kneeling position. A few of the robots drew their guns but Marle waved them down.

"Well, you see, that was the interesting part. I was dead until Lady Tempest went back and teleported me away before she shattered me. The pieces you saw were of a glass statue. Lady Tempest realized the potential I had to her. So she set me up here and I went to work. Little did I know the effect she would have on precious Marle." Lucca stated. 

"Yes; hey lover, you like the new me?" Marle said laughing. 

"No,' Crono retorted, 'what is the meaning of this? You seemed to be in control here and yet you use robots to perform your security and you have humans doing mindless things! Who are you!?" Crono screamed. Though he knew the answer, for the pendent could not be wrong. 

"I think your or should I say my pendent is answering that question." Marle said noticing the pendants reaction. 

"This isn't right, what did Tempest do to you?!" Crono asked. 

"Simple, she opened my eyes. We never got anything for defeating Lavos and saving all time! At least here I have a reward for what we did." She said turning her back.

"We never asked for a reward, nor did we ever want one… all we ever wanted was each other." Crono retorted. Marle was stunned at these words. Crono looked up just in time to see the emerald color of her eyes return and then disappear. 

"It is not too late,' Marle said changing the subject, 'Join me and be my king, all this power can be yours!" She called out. 

"And let Tempest ravage both time and dimension, no thank you." Crono returned. 

"Fool, Lady Tempest is the greatest thing that will happen to the universal pantheon. She will unify us all, we will be one." Marle returned. 

"Compression of the universal pantheon will destroy every living being in every universe unless they are out of sync with all universes just as we and Tempest are!" Robo stated waking up. 

"Restrain him, he could very well be the key to my greatest dream." Lucca ordered as a few of the robots moved to place energy cuffs on him. 

"Lucca, by my analysis, your body is only twenty-two percent organic material. What have you done to yourself?" Robo asked his once greatest friend. 

"Simple, my dream is to live forever in my own body, but to do that I need to improve that body. Flesh is weak, it decays but steel lasts forever. I will make my body completely robotic but my mind will be intact. My brilliance will live forever as will I!" She screamed. 

"This isn't right. Lucca changing herself into a machine and you Marle, the woman I love turned into a power hungry matriarch. This has to stop, I will put an end to this tyranny,' He said breaking the cuffs that bound his hands,' One way or another." He finished as he sliced the cuffs off of Robo.Robo started laying down a barrage of shots into his captors. Crono slashed his way through the robots until his lance lay on the neck of Marle. 

"You wouldn't want to kill the woman you love now would you?" She said confidently. 

"If I have to, yield." Crono said bringing the lance to striking point. 

"Idiot!" Lucca said blasting him from the side. He was thrown back against the near wall. 

"Run, we will handle them." Lucca ordered as Marle disappeared. 

"You've deserved this for a long time." Lucca said as she aimed her gun. Kain came too just in time to see these events take place. He stood and then jumped. 

"Not in this lifetime." Kain said thrusting his lance. It ripped through her arm and the gun dropped to the floor with a scream of pain from it wielder. 

"That hurt! Luckily I am always prepared for just such an event." She said ripping the lance from her. Somehow the arm grew back and she picked up the gun and aimed at Kain. She was about to fire when she felt pain scorch her back. Five slashes from Crono's lance and she was on the floor. 

"Fools, I am almost perfection, you cannot harm me!" Lucca screamed as the gashes disappeared. 

"We've heard that before, ehh Kain." Crono said as both of them jumped to the ready. However this time was different. This time they were fighting his best friend. He wondered whether he could make the finishing blow when the time came. He sat there and waited for something to break. Then he got an idea and signaled Robo to come up behind them and he sat at the ready. Kain and Crono launched attacks that were both easily recovered from. 

"What do I have to do to get it through your thick skull that I cannot be harmed by brute force? But; then again, thinking was never your strong suit now was it?" Lucca said laughing. 

"Nope, but I do have my moments, Robo... fire." He ordered. Robo sat at the ready, target locked but he couldn't fire. This was Lucca, his best friend. Or maybe, even, if it were possible for a robot; the woman he loved. Could he actually fire? Could he destroy her? But then another thought struck his CPU. Maybe it was his mistake that allow Gato to be created and the entire human population to be wiped out of existence? With this in his head, he let a full charge blast from his gunarm. The impact sent Lucca flying back towards the throne. She stood and faced them. Then, a look of sheer terror could be seen as Crono was flying towards her. His lance blade was buried deep into her midsection. He ripped it free and then prepared for another blow when she dropped to her knees. By this time robots had filled the room but with their creator taking her last breaths they all fell. Crono knelt down and caught the now defeated machine queen as she fell from her knees. She looked up at him and for the first time in a long time, the glimmer had returned to her eyes. 

"Nice hair." She whispered and then coughed. 

"Don't speak." He returned. 

"It was enough to restore me to my ...(cough)... original personality. ...(cough)... Tempest changed... me, ...made me.... her slave... She made me... recre...ate Gato... and ... then turned me ...(cough).... into this." Lucca struggled to say.

"This isn't... over yet. Marle... holds the key ...(cough)... to these peoples freedom." She continued. 

"Please stop, it will hurt less." Crono said trying to calm her. 

"You know... I wish... just once ...(cough)... you felt about me the.... same way you... feel for ...(cough)... Marle." She said as the breath began to leave her. This struck Crono like one of his old lightning bolts. Never did he ever see her having these feeling for him, but why? He knew that they were always together, they had been best friends since they were born. They had fought together to save the world and yet all he could ever think about was this girl who had lied to him about who she was and where she was from. Not only that, he had just met her; Lucca he had known for fourteen years. His thoughts were broken by Lucca's hand on his face. 

"Never... let what... I just ...(cough)... said break you two apart. You were made.. for each...other. But can you... do one last... thing for me?" 

"Anything." 

"Can you... kiss me... just LIKE you ...(cough)... you did Marle?" Lucca asked and Crono bent down and placed his lips on hers. The whole seen looked like something out of a fairy tail; a silver haired prince kissing the sleeping purple haired princess, however this time there would be no "happily ever-after". 

"Thus, with a kiss... I ... die......." Her head fell limp. The machines in her body shut down and slowly he could feel her heart stop. She died in his arms, killed by his lance. He laid her down on the floor and fire flashed in his eyes. 

"Stay here, there will be no more innocent losses this day. I will finish this, right here, right now." Crono said charging for the queen's room. Kain moved to join him but was blocked by the arm of Robo. 

"This is something he must deal with on his own. We would just get in the way." Robo said looking over Lucca's remains. He felt something he had never felt before. All emotions were new to him but this one was something more. He felt an incredible emptiness as he looked over her destroy and withered form. He dropped to his knees and put his head to hers. 

"Why, why did this have to happen to her… WHY!" He screamed as loud as his voice processors would allow. Kain knelt down beside him and place his arm on Robo's shoulder. 

"What is this that I am feeling?" Robo asked. 

"It is called loss, I myself have had to endure its pain. But I can honestly say that my pain was nothing compared to what you must be feeling. This was the woman that inspired you to have feelings in the first place. You loved her deeply… and to not have her, must be the greatest anguish that has ever been experienced. I can only have this to offer… she would not want you to sit around here and lose yourself and your goal just because she is lost. If anything, this should clarify why you are fighting. You are fighting not for vengeance, but to prevent this from happening again. Remember, we have been told at the end of this all of your friends will be restored; she is no exception. Kain said sitting down beside him.

"I don't know what to do though. How can humans live with emotions?" Robo asked.

"It is what makes us who we are. How we coup with things, what makes us happy, sad, afraid, you name it. You will get used to them, I guess it just takes time." Kain answered, not really knowing how to explain emotion. It is something that he took for granted to often. He never knew what it was like not having them. He could only imagine what Robo was going through.

"I wondered lately what would have become of us after this was all over. I knew she deeply loved Crono, but I was hoping that I could show her something else… wait a second, what is happening to me?" Robo asked looking at what he was doing. Kain came to the startling realization as well. Robo was starting act like a human, with thoughts, feelings, the whole works.

"What… what has happened to you?" Kain asked dumbfounded.

"She has given me one final gift, full emotions. I could not have asked for anything greater from you… except to have you back." Robo said as he bowed his head to hers. Had he had the ability to cry, tears would have been streaming down his face. Kain just sat and looked on. He wondered why his valor wasn't being tested. Each time he had received some form of test to match Robo and Crono's but now… nothing. He had fought the robots but never really was put to the test. Robo had to ask himself; which was more important, his heart or the people of this world. Crono would soon have to make the same decision, but he had faced nothing. He let the thoughts pass as he looked up the tower Crono had just ran up. 

"Good luck my friend; what ever the final result be, my friendship pledge to you. Now and forever." He said as he became lost in thought. 

…………………………………………………………………………….

Crono reached the final level of the tower. He walked through the arch of the hallway and then came to the doors of the room. The woman he once loved was now his greatest enemy and was behind this door. He didn't think of Lucca or Tempest or anything like that. Strangely, he thought of the slaves in his old home village. He was going to put an end to this. He cut the doors open and walked through to see Marle sitting there at the table, waiting for him. 

"It's been a long time since we were together up here, ehh lover?" Marle said standing. 

"Free those people out there and you may walk out of this room alive." Crono ordered standing at ready.

"Why do we have to start this conversation like this? Sit down and drink some tea with me." She said to him. He did as she asked thinking he might be able to bring her back just as he did in throne room.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her.

"Because, I have no choice. I finally had the chance to reap some benefit from our battles… even if I had to lose myself." She said taking a sip for her cup.

"The Marle I knew… the one I loved would never keep those people enslaved. Why are you doing this?" He asked again, this time with more force.

"Because she will take all this power from me and return me to the scared little girl I was so long ago. Is that what you want? A scared little girl is was too afraid to face who she was?" Marle said as her eyes began to flash.

"You were never afraid to face who you were. When I was gone you took over as leader. You would have been able to defeat Lavos without me, I know you would have. That is why I love you Marle, because you are strong and you fear nothing." Crono said placing his hand on her arm. The color returned to her eyes.

"I am afraid of a world without you." She said quietly.

"Then free these people and return home with me. You needn't be here." Crono said placing his hand on her face.

"I wish it were that simple, but there is nothing I can do. I can't go home, I don't have a home." Marle said as tears streamed from her now green eyes.

"Your home… is with me. Our hearts are one, here, now, and forever. You went to brink of death and back to return me to life because you knew that. Let us stop this and go back to lives we had." Crono answered her.

"I wish I could… but I am… I can't do…" Marle could not think of what to say.

"You can't what? I am here to save you from Tempest; if she comes, then we shall fight her together. There is one thing that she can't destroy… something that has guided me to you. This a bond that goes deeper then love. We are one, two halves of the same whole. You complete me. I wouldn't want to live without you." Crono said as he stood and hugged her.

"I love you so much…" Marle said as she returned his embrace.

"It is time we leave this place. Free these people and then we can go home." Crono said quietly. Marle just stood there for a second and then broke their embrace. Crono saw that the dark color had returned to her eyes

"You see, I can't do that. These meaningless lives were in Lady Tempest's way and had to be removed. Seeing I couldn't bring myself to slaughter that many people I called for Lucca to create those robots and the camp, for all the good they did. Now that those robots are gone I guess I have no choice but to be rid of all of it; too bad." Marle said as she reached for the pendent around her neck. 

"NO!" Crono screamed. He knew had to stop her and could not think of anything else he could in time to save those people other then end her. His thoughts were clouded by his love and his need to save those people. He spun his balde and slashed.. At the moment the blade came in contact with her neck, the entire world slowed down and shattered. Crono stood there on his knees after finishing his slash. He stood and looked around him. 

"What was this!? Why did you make me kill both my best friend and the woman I loved?!" Crono screamed into the nothingness. Tears of anger and anguish streamed down his face as he came to terms that he had just not only ended her life but his as well. He couldn't live without her; let alone the fact that HE was the one that killed her. The lance shimmered and flew from his hand. Before him now stood Lucca, Frog, Melchior, Ayla, and Schala. Schala was the first to speak. 

"Because, it showed that you could sacrifice your greatest treasures in life for the greater good. You have shown true valor this day." Schala finished as Lucca stepped forward. 

"Of all the skills, valor was something that you had to show that you had without the help of that lance or us. When you thought of only the freedom of the people that was true valor." 

Ayla was the next to speak. "You now true hero, you now crush Tempest like me crush reptite."

Melchior stepped forward. "You have the necessary skill and equipment to accomplish said task. I wish you luck."

Frog was the last to speak. "Aye my friend. Thouest have what is necessary in thy equipment; however, thouest missing one crucial component. And now to your reward for thine battles. We restore to thee thine greatest love. I return thee Marle." Frog said as the five started glowing and then Marle lie before him. He dropped down to his knees to greet her. He looked at her, gone was the black dress and black eyes. He saw the woman he had fallen in love with so long ago. She opened her eyes and looked deep inside him. 

"My knight in shinning armor." She said as their lips met. He now understood what she had meant all that time ago. The pendent imbedded in Crono's armor started to shine and power flowed through them. The power enveloped Marle and Crono was thrown back. A column of light blasted from the dark floor of the shattered world and levitated her. Her clothes disappeared and waves of light started shooting through the column and flooding over her nude form. Crono could only watch as the light reshaped her. On her feet, boots of emerald; her hands, gloves of emerald as well. Her body was covered in an armor made completely from her emerald crystals. A tear fell from Crono's pendent forming a new pendent in her armor as well. Angelic wings formed behind her and then came together to form an alabaster cape. Her helmet formed, an emerald green mask with wing shaped side panels. Her hair flew out of the ponytail it had been in for so long. From it flowed waves and waves of golden blond hair. It fell and covered her back as her eyes blasted open and her transformation was complete. The light dissipated and Crono was right there to catch her as it let her go with a fall. Crono looked at her and for the first time in long time remember why he had fallen in love with her. She lifted her mask and their lips met in the longest recorded kiss in history. Nothing else mattered but the two of them. This was what they both had hoped for. Now they were united, there was nothing in the world that could break them apart. Not even Tempest could shatter the love they had forged.

"Crono, you were right when you said were two parts of the same whole. When you are around, I know I can do anything. What I said before about being afraid of who I am… I was. I didn't want the responsibility of running the entire kingdom by myself one day. But now, now that I know you will be there by my side… I know I can do it.I love you so much." Marle said as he yes shinned in the dim light that had now formed in the void.

Kain and Robo shimmered in on the scene and immediately turned away. 

"Um... I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Kain said blushing. 

"Robo? Is that you?" Marle asked her renewed metal friend. 

"I believe so, though I see we both have changed. " Robo said as he saw her. She ran over and hugged him seeming to forget that it used to mean nothing to him. Now, however, he had gained a lot of human emotions and returned the hug with just enough pressure as to not hurt her.

"There is one other thing that we were able to find in that timeline." Lucca's voice returned. They all looked around and saw two others shimmer into the world. 

"Mom! Kitty, where, when, how?" Crono said dumbfounded. Marle sat and thought and then finally found what she was looking for. 

"I remember, Tempest planned all this. That gate that absorbed them, she opened. Our trip to 998, that was all part of her plan, however she didn't expect you to be such a thorn in her side. So she decided to kidnap me and turn me into that thing you defeated in that world. Your mother and cat were being held in that internment camp. Apparently the powers that be felt that they didn't want you to have too many loose ends before we go up against Tempest." Marle finished as Crono ran over to his mother and helped her up. She looked up at him and jumped to hug her now much taller son. 

"My how you have grown son." She said. 

"I promised I would find you and I have." He said meeting her hug. 

"Yes, you did, and you have. Apparently, I was in that hellish camp for longer then I thought." She said looking her boy over. 

"No mom, a lot has happened to me since you disappeared. I will tell you when I am done with my mission, for now, return home. Our home still exists in another time." Crono said forming a gate. 

"I will see you when you return from this new mission my son." She said as the gate closed behind her. 

"Now, weren't we going to go to 12,000 bc for real?" Kain said as he placed his lance in its holster. 

"I afraid Dragoon Man can't go with Crono anymore." Ayla appeared and said. 

"She's right, only three can travel through a gate at one time." Crono said as Kain just stood in shock. 

"Then what?" Kain asked. 

"You go home, back to your world." Ayla said opening a gate. 

"But, I want to stay with you." He whispered to her. 

"Me know, me also know we will meet again. But you need to go home. Regain honor, and friends." Ayla said pushing him towards the gate. 

"You're right. Well my friends, it has been an adventure. According to this fair damsel, we will meet again. If fate allows it so be it, if not, farewell. Crono, take care of her; you've found a real winner there." He said as he kissed Ayla. He jumped through and the gate closed behind him. Ayla's image blushed and dispersed. 

"Now weren't we going to go to 12,000 bc?" Marle said opening a gate with her pendent. 

"Let's go my love, coming Robo?" Crono returned putting his helmet back on. 

"Wouldn't miss it." Robo said jumping through the gate. As Crono flew through the Vortex; hand in hand with Marle he weighed what he had accomplished and knew there was now nothing that could stop them. Tempest be warned, for his coming will signal your defeat.


	10. What Haunts A Robot's Mind

Chapter 10

What haunts a robot's mind

The gate closed behind them and they were once again in the kingdom of Zeal. 

"That brings back memories." Marle said as Crono helped her up. 

"Well, it has been awhile since we all flew through a gate like that." Robo said standing himself up. 

"We've all changed a bit since our battle with Lavos." Crono said brushing him off. 

"Well, now that we are here, what do we do?" Marle asked joining them. 

"With the right scans I should be able to locate a gatway that will lead us to the future." Robo stated. 

"Well, if that's all there is to it, why don't we just open a gate?" Crono asked. 

"If it were that easy, what would be the point? Your gate ability cannot go beyond a certain point in history." Robo said continuing the scan. 

"That being?" Marle added. 

"The day of Lavos, August 6th 1999. A temporal instability prevents us from going beyond the point without the assistance of an already existing gate." Robo stated. 

"But all gates collapsed, they were created by Lavos." Crono said confused.

"Not really; you see, I hate to tell you this but Lavos wasn't destroyed as we had originally thought." Robo informed them.

"What?" Crono asked.

"We thought we had destroyed him when in reality we didn't have the power to do so. He still exists; in dormancy waiting for the one that can end him." Robo said finishing his scan.

"How do you know all of this?" Marle asked

"I was program with a black file I could never open by my creator. I never knew what was in that file until this transformation occurred. Then suddenly I could open that file. What I found was lithobytes of data regarding all of the temporal possibilities in the universal pantheon. I have only been able to sort through four percent of the information and it could take me years to decipher and catalogue the rest." Robo answered. 

"So whoever your creator was he, she, it had to know that that information would someday be needed by us." 

"Perhaps, or most likely they knew about the universal pantheon and just put it in there." 

"No, why else would the file have opened only when you transformed, only after we started this journey? There is too much here to be coincidence." Crono finished. 

"True, very true. Anyway, we have more important matters to attend to. The gate is this way." Robo said walking. Marle looked over at the pondering Crono. 

"What are you thinking about?" She inquired. 

"Something doesn't fit, who created him?" Crono said following him slowly. Marle join him and placed her hand in his. Crono's mind continued to race despite her gesture. Marle didn't understand what he was thinking and decided to pick a little further.

"Why would that be important now?" She asked.

"Because; whoever created him, knew of this battle many centuries before and/or after it. How?! How could someone know of something of this magnitude? Something doesn't add up and I think we will soon find out what." He concluded as they followed him.

They reached the place they had crossed the entire floating island to reach, the hanger of the Blackbird. Robo looked out over the cliff of the island towards the little island they had never reached. 

"So, where is this gate?" Marle asked looking out over the scenery. 

"Out there." Robo said pointing to the skies next to the island where sun keep stood out of there reach. 

"How do we reach it?" Crono asked taking Marle into his arms. She leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder as they shared the view. 

"I have been thinking about that and have come up with one conclusion." Robo responded.

"That being?" Crono asked as he and Marle stood watching the sunset.

"Oh nothing really extravagant, we just steal the ship." He said looking out over the cliff.

"We what?"

"Do you realize just how difficult that will be?" Marle said breaking from Crono's loving grasp. 

"Nothing we haven't handled before." Robo said turning away.

"Three of us and me without even a weapon, it would be suicide!" Marle burst out.

"How can you be so calm about this Robo?" Crono asked.

"I don't know really, I guess I am just getting used to these emotions." He answered.

"Actually, come to think of it; if we could find you a weapon…" Crono said thinking.

"You are not going to agree with him are you?" Marle asked looking deep into his eyes. Crono nearly broke out into tears we he saw her. It had been so long since they had been together like this. He remembered the moment that he first fell in love with her. He had been in the same void that he had save Marle from in the beginning of their adventure. He looked around and all he saw was darkness. The he heard a voice that he knew. It was sweet and loving and had the sound of sadness behind it. He knew that the voice had to be hers. He felt a tug on his heart and ran for the sound. He saw a light envelope him and he was instantly transported from that place. He awoke to find that the cold was still there until he felt the warmth of another heart. He shook his head clear until he saw that the warmth was Marle. He took her into his arms and dried her tears. She looked up at him and it was in that moment, when their eyes locked that he could see right into her heart. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen in his life and he knew that what he felt was true love. He had the same feeling in this moment as he did then.

"You fought through it once alone. Nothing can stop the two of us together." He said as he passionately kissed her. All the while, Robo looked at the two with a pain inside.

"So this is what the reward for true love is… I wish I could receive it." He said as he looked back out over the cliff. He could see Lucca's face in the clouds as they went by. Had he the ability to cry he would have. Crono and Marle broke their embrace and turned to him.

"Robo… what's wrong?" Marle asked.

"What's up?" Crono said soothingly.

"Seeing you two… love must be one of the greatest feelings in the world and it will be something that I will never feel." Robo said turning from them.

"I know she would have been happy to know that you felt this way about her." Crono informed him. Marle just kind of looked at him.

"She's gone and there is nothing that I could have done to avoid it. I killed her!" Robo said as he dropped to his knees.

"There was nothing you could have done, besides; what we killed wasn't Lucca! It was simply some image that was prepared to test our valor. We both passed my friend, now stand up. Lucca will be returned to us after this ordeal is over with." Crono said standing before him.

"How would you know, you don't know anything about will happen to us." Robo said looking away.

"But you do, whoever gave you that file knew what was going to happen." Marle said shocked.

"That is correct." Robo informed them.

"I cannot begin to imagine what you know, but I will tell you this; the future can be changed. We proved that and we shall do it again if that's what it comes down to. We will get Lucca and all of our friends back." Crono said kneeling with him.

"You will know what love is, I am sure of it." Marle reassured him. Robo looked at both of them and knew that they were both naïve. Only he knew what was actually going to happen, but strangely he did feel better.

"You're right, this is something we can change just as we changed time before." He said standing. He knew that he had blatantly lied to them but he knew that he couldn't tell them what he knew. 

"Yeah!" Marle said happily.

"That still leaves us with the question of who programmed you." Crono asked.

"I cannot give you that information. My programmer informed me that under no circumstances was their identity to be revealed." Robo said stepping away from them.

"How are we supposed to change time if we don't know how it turns out in the first place?" Marle asked.

"Follow me and I will make sure that we do what needs to be done." Robo said looking back out over the cliff.

"I don't know why you are hiding this info from us, but I know there has to be a reason; you have never led us wrong and you won't now. For now, let us rest. We have all been through a lot. We will look at getting the Blackbird tomorrow. It's a warm night, perfect for sleeping out under the stars." Crono said sitting down looking out over the clouds.

"Great idea Crono." Marle said taking her place beside him. Robo continued to move away from them with the thoughts what of he knew still running through his CPU. He didn't like hiding anything from them but he knew that this he had to do.

A few hours passed and Marle and Crono were looking out over the stars. Robo was sitting in a tree a few feet from them looking over them almost as mother eagle would look over her chicks.He listened as Crono told Marle about the stars and watched as they moved progressively closer to each other. He wondered why they did this; he was new at emotions and still had a lot to learn. Though he wondered why he even bothered, he would never get the chance to use them now; but still he watched. 

"There are so many stars out there. I wonder how many there are?" Marle asked Crono cradled her head. 

"Lucca once told me that what see isn't the stars at all, merely reflections of light." Crono said running his hand through her hair. 

"I don't believe that, reflection don't have this kind of beauty." She said looking out.

"Reflections or not, their light pales to that of your beauty." Crono said he kissed her.

"Crono… promise me that you will never leave me again. I don't want to ever have to feel what I felt when Lavos took you from me before." She said sitting up and looking up at him. 

"I promise you here, now and forever; I shall never leave you again. I love you and that love is eternal no matter what challenges we face or even the distance between us. When Tempest took you I knew that you were still there. Our hearts are connected and always shall be." He said as he kissed her with passion that neither of them had felt before. They broke their embrace and stared deep into each other's eyes. Marle knew that this was the time that she had been waiting for all her life. Her dreams were about to come true and her heart was about to be complete.

"Crono… I… can you…. will you…. make love to me…" Marle said as they saw each other's hearts. Crono looked at her and saw himself within her soul. She completed him and he knew that they would be together forever. He answered her question by laying her down on the soft grass that they had been sitting on and kissing her deeply again. 

"So this is what physical love is." Robo said as he watched from his vantage point the two lovers gave themselves to each other. He wondered what it was like to give yourself to another person like that. His thoughts drifted to Lucca and what he felt for her. He knew that it was never to be but still he yearned for it. But he knew that Crono was right he said that this was not what Lucca would have wanted. He looked back down at the couple and then realized just how late it was. 

"I shall let them have this moment of happiness, for it will be the last one they can share for quite sometime." He concluded as he looked back up at the stars. He knew that what they were about to face was going to be the greatest challenge of their lives. The battles ahead of them would test all of the skills that had gone through the trials for. He knew that his fate was already sealed, but he had hoped that they could take victory…


	11. Questions of the Heart

Chapter 11

Questions of the Heart

Crono awoke to the sun reaching into the sky. He kissed Marle on the cheek and got up to get ready for the day. He looked around to see that Robo was nowhere to be found.

"Robo?" He called out and got no response. He wondered where he had gone off too. This thought stuck in his mind until he saw him coming back up to where they were. 

"What were you doing?" Crono asked him.

"Doing a little reconnaissance. The Blackbird has no real reason to be guarded here and thus isn't." Robo said looking over to where the giant plane was docked.

"That's something I have been meaning to ask you, how does this place still exist? It was destroyed the last time I checked." Crono stated fastening his armor in place.

"There are some things that I cannot tell you, but I will tell you what I can. We are in another universal possibility, due to certain choices and events in the world; we never reached Lavos. Zeal was able to unlock his power and now rules the world in all time. The Day of Lavos never happened because one day before then, Zeal got greedy and drained Lavos of the power that sustained his place in this world. The core returned to where it came from and left the world as it was… at her mercy." Robo informed him.

"Where is Schala and better yet, where are we?" Marle said sitting up using the sheet of the bedroll to cover herself.

"I cannot provide you with that information." Robo said turning away. 

"Why, it won't have any impact on our present, will it?" Marle asked getting dressed.

"No, but it could affect our mission and that is something that I cannot allow." Robo said quietly.

"We get the picture, it doesn't concern us anyway." Crono said stopping Marle's questions. 

"Alright then, what are we supposed to do now? I still don't have a weapon." Marle said fixing the final snaps of her armor in place. 

"Perhaps I can rectify that situation…" A voice resounded within their minds.

"Lu… Lucca?" Robo stuttered. 

"Hey… how are you… doing?" She asked him. Crono and Marle just looked at him not hearing that he was talking to her.

"Without you I…" 

"Will do fine, lead them to where they need to be. Don't worry, we will be reunited after this is over." Lucca said to him.

"But you know what is going to happen as well as I." Robo retorted.

"And you know that it must happen, but I assure you we will see each other again. You have a mission to complete and now it is time to complete it." Lucca said as her image appeared before all three of them.

"Now as for you Marle. I have been working on something for you. It is the perfect compliment to Crono's Starlight Twin Lance, just as you are to him." Lucca informed her.

"Thank you…" Marle said blushing.

"Simply reach into the sky and you shall receive what I have made for you." Lucca instructed her and Marle followed the instructions as a column of light enveloped her hand.

"Forged in starlight and possessing the power of the love between you, lower your hand and accept the Emerald Star Slayer." Lucca said as her image faded before them. As Marle lowered her hand she took hold of a handle between two crossbows. Both were fashioned from emerald crystal and both were energy weapons. She turned around and let a volley of arrows fly. White energy bolts flew towards the horizon, she had the weapon she was seeking.

"Now, with that settled we can get on with what we have to do." Robo said breaking in. 

"What's the plan?" Marle asked looking her new weapon over.

"As I said, the place isn't that well guarded. We should be able to get in and steal the ship without all that much trouble. There are the security turrets and roboguards on the inside, but they weren't that much trouble before; with our powers as they are now those things should be meaningless." Robo said as he armed his gunarm. 

"Lead the way, we'll be right behind you." Crono said taking Marle's free hand. Robo just shook his head; he knew that it was going to be like this and still he found it funny. They left the safety of the ground that had been and headed to the docks. When they reached the area Robo was surprised to see that the amount of guards had increased.

"I thought you said the place was unguarded." Crono said ducking behind some barrels.

"It was a few moments ago. Something is going on and I don't like the looks of it." Robo said spinning his gun turret. 

"Still, if you think about; these guys shouldn't be anything to us now." Marle chimed in as she readied her new weapon.

"She's right, let's do this." Crono said as he jumped from his hiding place. They charged at their enemy hand in hand until they reach their target. They separated and easily dispatched what was waiting for them. Meanwhile, Robo looked on wondering how in such a short time they could have created a bond that was strong enough to fight through all of that. The last time he saw them together, Crono was wondering why he had let Lucca slipped through his fingers… thoughts that now troubled his own CPU. What was this feeling that he knew was between them. He had definitions of happiness, sadness, love, hate, as well as the whole range of human emotion; but none of that could prepare him for his own feelings. Kain had said to him that the feeling was loss, but what did that mean. Loss was defined as the sudden misplacement of a possession, but Lucca didn't belong to him; what did this mean? He shook his and head would have cried had the ability to do so. When he looked up he saw that Crono and Marle were standing over him.

"What's wrong Robo?" Marle asked calmly.

"What is this power you both possess… how can you not fear the danger you know you will face?" Robo said standing up away from them.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Crono asked taken aback.

"You rushed into that battle without a thought or care about the consequences of your actions. However, would have done if it was just either one of you? Would have done if you were alone?" Robo screamed at them.

"No, that would have been insanity." Marle responded.

"Why!? It was insanity just the same doing it together, what was the difference?" He returned.

"Because, together… nothing can defeat us." Crono said taking Marle's hands into his own.

"Exactly, what is this power you possess?" Robo asked this time a little bit calmer.

"It isn't any kind of power, love just makes someone stronger." Marle answered.

"I know there is nothing that can defeat me because she is always there for me, no matter what I will face." Crono continued.

"Right, we don't have any powers beyond what you know. We just are a part of one another."

"The bond we share is one the exceeds love. Our very souls are one, there is nothing that can break that bond." Crono said placing his hand on Robo's shoulder.

"I don't think I will ever understand what you are talking about." Robo said turning away.

"You will, one day." Marle said kissing him on his metal cheek.

"Thank you both. But we have more important concerns at this moment. I shall lead, you two follow me; we have a gate to find." Robo answered back.

"Right." They answered in unison. Robo started towards the hatch of the Blackbird, Marle and Crono stood for a moment.

"Do you think he will understand?" Marle asked taking Crono's hands back into hers.

"Someday… when Lucca is returned to us." Crono said looking away from her.

"She told you didn't she… she told you that she loved you." Marle said separating herself from Crono.

"Yes, but that doesn't change what I feel for you." Crono said taking her into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder but she was still distant. Crono knew that she wasn't questioning their love; she was questioning herself and her actions. He spun her around and looked deep into her eyes.

"What I said to Robo is true and much more. I love you with every shred of my being. I was very close to excepting your offer back there in Guardia… I would give the world to be with you. You make me who I am; I wouldn't be here fighting this battle had I not had to fight those battles to get you back. I am who I am because you love me! Nothing has ever nor will it ever come between us. My love for you is eternal; nothing will make me give you up. On my honor and most importantly on my heart… to this I swear!" He said as their lips came together.Tears filled her eyes; she had never realized that he truly felt this deeply in love with her. She knew she had made a mistake in doubting him and pulled away from him again.

"I… don't deserve this. I don't deserve the light of your heart. I have committed so many crimes. I have doubted you even though your faith in me has never wavered. I am just a scared little girl… I don't deserve you or Lucca or Ayla, or anyone! I am just the snot nosed little princess that no one ever wanted to talk to." She said as she dropped to her knees crying. Crono bent down and took her into his arms once more.

"No, you have not committed crimes. What you did you did under Tempest's control." Crono said as Marle broke the embrace once more.

"Did I? Or was I just acting on emotions that I had deep down inside of me. I am nothing more then a monster." She said as tears streamed down her face.

"No, you did what you did under Tempest's control. The Marle I know would have never done anything of what that witch had done. You are you, not her. You are the woman I will love here, now and forever… no matter the problems or trials we shall face… neither of us shall stand alone. I love you, I have given my heart to you and I have revealed in the light that yours has shown me. If anyone here is inadequate it is I. I am just a lowly peasant from a village within your kingdom. Everyday of my life spent with you is the greatest gift I could have ever hoped for. I truly am blessed to be love by you… now end those tears… we mustn't let their darkness cloud the light shinning within those beautiful emerald eyes." He said he hugged her.

"Oh Crono, thank you so much." She said as she looked into his eyes.

"I should be thanking you… for giving me the gift of your heart." Crono said as their lips came together once more.

"We are both truly blessed." Marle said looking up at him.

"I will always be here for you, no matter what." Crono said as they just laid there, Marle's head on his shoulder.

"Crono, will you do something for me?" Marle asked looking up at him.

"Anything." 

"Can you… show me who you once were?" She asked him. This struck like another one of those lightning bolts.He wondered what she meant until she saw what she was looking at.

"Of course." He said as he looked down at the pendent embedded into his armor. It started glowing with his thoughts and with a flash, he had granted her request. Gone was the long silver hair that had been given to him by his transformation. His old red spike hair had returned and Marle squealed gleefully.

"Thank you… this is how we met, this is how I want things to be." She said as she stood from his arms. She reached behind her and was about to place her hair back into the ponytail that it had been in when Crono stood and kissed her again.

"Long hair suits you milady." He said as he ran his fingers through her hair. She just shook her head and let her hair as it was. 

"Robo must be getting worried about us." She said as they held each other. Her head was on his chest and she could hear his heartbeat. She felt so much warmth in her own heart when she knew that that heart beat for her. With one final look into each other's eyes, their lips came together once more. They knew that Robo was partially right when he said that there was some power in all of this. Their felt each other's strength and knew each other weaknesses. There was nothing that the other didn't know about the other and that power would give them the ability to end the ordeal they were going through.They now both knew that even Tempest's power was nothing compared to the power they shared… their hearts were now truly one.


	12. Captured

Chapter 12

Captured

They had made into the Blackbird, but the increase in guards at the gate worried Robo. He knew that he was too far away be seen by the naked eye when he went on the recon run earlier in the morning and he didn't see anyone looking at him. He wondered how they could have known that something was going to hit them as they had. Robo looked around, he had been here once before and still had the information within his memory. He knew the duct system and how they were going toi reach the command deck. However, as they went further in he realized that something was terribly wrong.

"Does anyone else think that it is a little too… quiet in here?" Robo asked looking around for any roboguards or flight crew ninjas and finding none.

"Now that you mention it, yeah; this is weird. This place was crawling with baddies when we were here the first time." Marle said joining Robo in his search.

"Wouldn't know… I was kinda dead at the time." Crono said with a chuckle.

"Oh, that's not nice Crono." Marle said with a giggle of her own. 

"That's all well and good to have a little fun, but we have what could be a serious problem. Why were there so many guards at the gate and nothing inside? My scans can't seem go beyond a ten meter radius in any direction, not something I like." Robo said as he continued to look.

"Why look a gift horse in the mouth? We don't have to fight for once in our lives as they are now." Crono said patting his metal friend on the shoulder.

"Since when have we been that lucky?" Robo said looking back at him. Crono thought about this one for a few moments.

"Good point." Crono said calling up his weapon. They continued into the corridor and found that the entire deck was empty. They knew that this was no longer a good thing but couldn't figure out what was going on. It took them a few minutes but they were able to reach the command deck. Still nothing and no one was present. Robo looked around and saw the controls her was looking for. He started to enter a few things into the ship when Crono looked up and a thought occurred to him. 

"Robo, where is this going to take us?" He asked. Robo looked up.

"If I told you to hell would you believe me?" He said as he turned back to his work.

"What are you talking about?" Crono asked moving closer to see what he was doing.

"There it is done, soon this plane will come crashing down on the rats below this wonderful kingdom." Robo said with a maniacal laugh that wasn't his.

"What is going on here?" Marle said as she came up beside Crono.

"Fools, did you actually think that you could sneak on to this ship without my detection?" Robo said as his formed warped. When the ripples cleared they saw the form of Dalton. 

"What the hell did you do with Robo?" Crono asked the man in the orange. Marle was all too familiar with him after their encounters. 

"Dalton, what is going on?" She asked.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, you know who I am and yet I have never seen you pests before." He said with a laugh.

"I'll show you pests. Give Robo back!" Crono said as he charged at the seemingly defenseless man. However, as he came nearer; Dalton grabbed him by the neck and pulled him face to face.

"Yes… pests." Dalton said as he unceremoniously tossed Crono to the side. 

"How… did you do that? You didn't have that kind of power the last time we met." Marle said running over to Crono.

"Once again, you act as if we had met before and yet I do not remember such a thing. Oh well, you are nothing but rats in a cage now. Have a nice trip." Dalton said as he disappeared. They both looked out and saw that the ship had begun to move. They looked around to see if there was anything that they could do and found that they could not understand the controls.

"You see this where Lucca would come in handy." Marle said as she tried a few things. Crono stopped for a moment and thought about what was going on. He thought about what Dalton had said and then put two and two together and realized that they didn't make four.

"Strangely, she'd be having the same problems we are." Crono said as he looked around.

"Why would you say something like that?" Marle asked in frantic tone.

"Because… none of this is real." He answered as he disappeared as well. Marle began to feel the fear well up inside her until she thought about what he had said. She knew that Dalton didn't have the power become Robo, nor the power to catch and throw Crono like that. Crono was right… none of this was real. As she thought this she saw a bright flash of light as the world around her disappeared.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Crono awoke to find himself restrained in one of Zeal Kingdom's energy prisons. He looked around and saw that he was in fact in the royal chamber of Zeal Palace. He wondered about what had just happened when he saw a familiar figure walk in.

"Zeal… where are my friends?" He asked her as she walked up to him.

"As your friend had Dalton at an advantage, you seem to have me at the same. How do you know who we are and better yet, how did you know that world we gave you wasn't real?" She asked she looked him over.

"Where are my friends?" He asked again ignoring her.

"You will find it wise not ignore me boy, I have powers that you could only dream of. Now answer my questions before you experience those powers first hand." Zeal said as her anger increased.

"I care very little for you or your powers. Where are my friends?!" Crono asked.

"You don't seem to understand. Perhaps you need a lesson on how to your masters!" She retorted as she launched and energy bolt at Crono. It struck Crono like an asteroid hitting a planet. He was thrown back into the energy field as he felt the electricity go through him. He was finally dropped by the field and fell to his knees. He looked up to see Zeal standing over him.

"You know, that didn't have to happen to you. Answer my questions before I show you the true power of the Zeal empire." She said quietly. Crono thought about to say and then another idea hit him.

"I'd be happy to answer your questions…" Crono started.

"Under what condition?" Zeal asked.

"Where's Schala?" He asked quietly. He looked around at Zeal and saw that he had struck a nerve that perhaps he did not want to strike. 

"That name is never to be spoken in my presence!" She screamed as she beat him with blast after blast of energy. He was pinned against the other wall of the energy prison, being beaten both by Zeal's relentless assault and by the electric energy of the field coursing through him. When finally let him down his armor let off streams of smoke. His was burned, battered and broken; he had no idea what had just happened.

"If you must know, that wench tired to destroy me. She learned that that was not a good idea." Zeal said turning away from hurt Crono. "A fate that you will share if you do not answer my questions." She continued as she showed him a energy bolt at the ready.

"If you kill me, you'll never get your answers. If I am dead, Marle won't give you anything and I have yet to figure out where Robo is." Crono answered with sneer on his face. Zeal's anger continued to rage inside her but she knew that he was right.

"Very well then… I will show you to your friends. Dalton, bring this boy's friends to me." She said into nowhere. 

"As you command." Dalton's voice answered from the same nowhere. Crono heard a noise behind him and saw a black gate open. Dalton appeared and threw Marle and Robo to the ground; they appeared to be lifeless. 

"If you have harmed them in anyway, I'll…"

"You'll what, give us a sound tongue lashing, oh please. You held behind an energy field with the two most powerful beings in the world staring you down and you have no weapon to speak of." Dalton interrupted. Crono reached down and fro the first time realized he was in fact unarmed. 

"Now I believed there were some questions that I asked you." Zeal said with a smile as Dalton began to laugh. Crono looked down and saw that his pendent was shinning. Then another thought occurred to him, a thought that frightened him to say the least.

"How long have we been under your control? Did what I remember… last night happen? Did our talk this morning happen?" Crono asked realizing he didn't know whether his most heartfelt words and feelings were ever conveyed. 

"As for last night, yes; you rodents did have your fun. As for your little talk, well you didn't have it directly but it did happen and you both know what was said." Dalton said as he stopped laughing.

"It was a very touching moment. Now…answer my questions before I ensure that you never have another one of those moments again." Zeal said with a laugh of her own. Crono just sat there wondering what to do next. He looked as his glowing pendent and got an idea. He summoned up a healing spell to see if he could still use his powers. As he felt the warm light of the prism energy fill him he knew that he could. 

"What? What is this power you have… it is like Sc… hers, but stronger… much stronger." Dalton said as he charged his powers.

"You are correct Dalton this is a power that is much like hers. Where did you get this power boy?" Zeal asked him as he stood.

"From the pendant that is embedded into my armor." He answered calmly. Zeal took a close look and then backed away.

"That pendant… it is forged of the same materials as the royal pendants of Zeal. How do you have it?" She said as her anger returned.

"Well, I guess there is no point in not answering your questions; though you might not believe me." Crono said as he explained the whole story to them. He talked about their adventures, about Tempest, about everything. Zeal was most displeased with the fact that she had lost.

"How could I lose to someone as insignificant as you? More to the point, how do that foolish Lavos ever defeat me?" Zeal said calming down.

"What do you mean, you were transformed by Lavos's power into a creature beyond the darkness you even now possess." Crono said remembering the battle that he, Robo and Marle had with her on the Black Omen. 

"Ha, that miniscule create having the power to transform me? Yes, its power was quite large until we started siphoning it with the power of the mammoth machine. It was then that that wench tried to stop me from achieving my goals. I simple used my powers to remove her from existence. As for Lavos, I drained his shell into me and then had interesting conversation with the being at its core. It wanted to destroy me so I simply broke it into six pieces and sent it away." Zeal said with a laugh. Crono thought about this for a moment and also thought about what Robo had said to him. Finally, it dawned on him what actually transpired.

"You didn't simply break Lavos's core apart… you fought it, just as we had. When you defeated it, it shattered into six pieces and was drawn somewhere. Where did these pieces go?" Crono asked.

"If you must know, at last report they were heading to an uninhabited area far to the south of here." Dalton spoke up. Crono thought about where that could be in his time and reached the final conclusion.

"El Nido… So that's where Lavos awaits the one that can destroy him." He said to himself. He shook this thought out of his head; it wasn't a pressing concern at the moment. He looked around and saw that Marle and Robo had started to wake up. He quickly cast his healing spell over them and then looked out at Zeal. 

"You know, these energy fields of yours just don't seem to be as hard to break out of as I recall." He said this a sneer on his face as called upon his full power easily shattering the energy column around him.Zeal and Dalton stood at the ready waiting for him to use his powers further when Robo called out to him.

"Crono, we don't have time for this. We have to get the Blackbird." With this said, Robo fired an odd-looking energy bolt towards the ceiling. It exploded and filled the room with a blinding light. When Dalton and Zeal came to they noticed that their captives had gone.

"Dalton… find them!" Zeal screamed as her anger built once again.

"Oh of course I will… can't have rodents like them running around in MY kingdom." Dalton said as an energy cloud formed about him.

"What are you talking about Dalton?" Zeal said staring him down.

"It is very simple my dear Zeal. I am getting tired of playing second fiddle to likes of you. It is time someone with real power takes command here." As he said this he released the energy he had collected. The beam of light streaked across the room and tied Zeal in its power.

"Wha… what are you doing?" She gasped as she felt her power being drained.

"It would be impossible to kill you with all the powers you have, besides; how can I be the most powerful being in the world if I don't have all the power." Dalton looked on as Zeal began to become frail. Finally he relinquished her and she dropped to the floor. Dalton reveled in the power he had stolen from her. 

"I hope you have enjoyed your time in the sky… because you are about to take a great fall." Dalton said and with a wave of his hand, the floor underneath Zeal opened up. He walked over and laughed as he watched her fall to her death.

"Now where was I… oh yes, the rodents." He said as he opened one of his portals and disappeared. As soon as he was gone another flash filled the room and Crono, Marle and Robo reappeared. 

"Cloaking shell, very effective stealth device." Robo said as he stood up. Crono walked over to Marle and help her up.

"You alright?" He asked her. She jumped up and gave him a hug.

"When you disappeared and you didn't wake up with us… I thought I had lost you." She said as tears streamed down her face. 

"When Dalton threw you down, I thought the worst as well. But here we are safe and sound." He said as their lips met.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me. I know I've had you do it before, but it feels so good to hear." Marle said as the tears continued to flow.

"From this day forth, nothing will ever separate us again… I promise." He said wiping the tears from her eyes. They just stood there for a few moments looking at each other, in a moment that neither of them wanted to end. However, Robo knew he had to.

"I do not mean to pry but our window of opportunity closes with each passing minute. We must get to the Blackbird and fast." Robo said as he started on his way.

"Right."

"Lead the way." Crono and Marle responded as they followed behind him once again hand in hand. They did this all the way through the palace oblivious to the stares that they were receiving. They crossed the field that led to the Blackbird in the same way. Robo looked back at them every once in awhile and knew that this was the way it meant to be. When they reached the Blackbird, he found that the guard situation was he remembered it from earlier in the morning.This bothered him now, as Dalton surely knew that he and his friends were on their way there. He thought that perhaps Dalton wanted to fight them. He knew that engage these guards was going to tricky as he was the only one of them with a weapon. He also knew however, that something as trivial as that was not going to stop Crono and Marle. He looked over his shoulder and found that he was right. They were already charging their magical powers for the fight. His shook his head as the three of them charged the guards, who were easily dispatched by their combined force. With the guards out of the way they moved stealthily through the passages and air ducts of the massive airship. When they came to their destination they found that it was once again unguarded, however, they knew this wasn't to last. For when the slipped into the command room they noticed that the Starlight Twin Lance and Emerald Star Slayer were sitting there, waiting for them. 

"This isn't good." Crono said picking up his weapon.

"I just thought I would give you a sporting chance to defeat to me… though you never really had to begin with." Dalton's voice sounded throughout the room. A black portal opened before them and he stood there, staring down his nose at the intruders on his ship.

"Well see about that Dalton." Crono said as he called upon his lance.

"Try as you might boy, I am one enemy you cannot defeat." Dalton said with a chuckle.

"Robo, do what you have to do. Marle and I will handle this fiend." Crono said, as he took ready.

"You might want to rethink that strategy boy, you are going to need all the help you can get." Dalton said unleashing his power. Both Marle and Crono easily dodged the blast.

"Is that the best you can do? Ha." Marle said as she gave him a does of her weapon. The battle raged behind him as Robo went to work on the console. He had to enter everything exactly; one mistake could mean doom. The ship they were about to travel on wasn't made for intertemporal travel and he knew they would feel it if he made even a minuet miscalculation. Meanwhile, the battle wasn't going to well.

"You see rodents, even you don't have the power to defeat me. Why you just stand still and die like the good little insects you are?" Dalton said as he launched two globes of dark energy at Crono and Marle. Crono looked on, as Marle was able to dodge what was sent at her. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by the globe set for him. He looked over at Dalton and tried to find some weakness but was unable to come up with anything. Marle let go another volley that did nothing but sting Dalton. She ran over to where Crono was and stood with him as they both launch an attack him. Crono jumped into the air as Marle called upon her ice magic. The magic joined with Crono's spinning lance to form a dual tech that was launching icicles at Dalton. Incredibility, it finally looked like they were have an effect. Dalton stepped back at each strike; he felt the pain go through him.

"Fools, is that all you have!" Dalton said as the attack came to end. Marle and Crono just looked at each other and wondered what next. They knew they had the power to defeat anything when they fought together, but this battle seemed hopeless. Except for a few scratches, Dalton seemed untouchable. Crono and Marle were not ones to give up. They looked at each other, both with the same question in their eyes.

"You know what will happen if we do this." Crono said as he took a hold of Marle's hand. 

"Yes, but together I think… no, I know we can make it through." Marle said as she took Crono's other hand. Dalton simply looked at them as he felt the power build between them. They looked into each other's eyes knowing that if they did this there was no way back. It no longer matter… this was what they both wanted. They were more then in love, they were one and it was about time they made it official.

"My heart to yours." Crono spoke his part of the incantation as an energy well formed around them.

"And mine to yours." Marle continued.

"May our souls become one…"

"Here now and forever…"

"As our souls come together…"

"So may our powers be released…"

"Heart to heart, soul to soul, love for eternity. Angel's in heaven, hear our cry, bring us together, and allow us to fly." The last line they said in unison as their lips met. The energy well around erupted around them as their armor melted away. They continued their embrace as their bodies filled with light. As the light enveloped them, their separate forms eroded away and with a burst of light a new form emerged. Before Dalton, was now an angel of light possessing the appearance of both of its creators. 

"Wha… what is this power?" Dalton asked as fear filled his very existence.

"I am the embodiment of the power that connects my parents. Their combined love has created me and I shall be your undoing." With this the angel simply waved its hand and Dalton flew back towards the entrance of the command chamber. 

"No… this power… it's not possible!" Dalton said as he threw everything he had at the angel. His attack had no effect on the being of pure light. 

"Now it ends Dalton, you shall be sent to the nexus where you have belong for a long time. May you find peace in your eternity of suffering." With this, the angel summoned all of its power into one burst. It streaked towards Dalton ripping him to shreds on impact. His essences screamed as it melted away. Then angel knelt down and the energy formed around it. As the angel's form began to disappear Crono and Marle's forms reappeared still locked within their embrace. As the energy cleared they separated and looked deeply inside one another. They each smiled at each other, not truly knowing what was next. Their questions were soon answered.

"Greetings Crono and Marle. My name is Aurora; I am the love that you share personified. Because you are so able to give of yourselves to the other, I am able to exist." The angel said at it appeared in front of them.

"You are so beautiful Aurora. Thank you for your help." Marle said to her.

"I am beautiful only because I am from you. I help you because that is what I was created for. You powers guide me, just as they will in the future. The love you have for each other created me, just as it has created the daughter inside of you Marle." The angel returned.

"Does that mean…?" Crono asked.

"Yes, you are going to be a father. It was because of the strength that your souls possessed that I was able to freed for this short time to assist you with my powers." Aurora said as Crono and Marle looked at one another.

"So you are…" Marle began.

"Yes, I am the soul of the child within you, waiting to be born. I must go; I can only be outside my body for a short time. However, I must tell you this before I go. You souls are now one; each will feel the pain as well as the joy of the other. Should one of you fall in battle so will the other. However, as long as you both protect each other; you shall never feel the sting of time. We shall meet again… goodbye mother, goodbye father." Aurora said as light filled the area. After the illumination had cleared, she was gone. Crono and Marle knew within their hearts though where she was. They looked at each other and their hugged each other.

"Our souls are one… I will never let you go." Crono said as they Marle laid her head on his shoulder.

"Are we… are we ready for the responsibility?" Marle asked.

"Together we can handle anything." He said as he pulled her lips to his. Marle knew that this was the case; she just needed to hear it from him. She loved him more then life itself and was never going to give him up and she knew that he felt the same. Robo looked back at them, not really sure of what to make of what had just happened. He decided to just put it in the back of his mind and returned to his work. He finally punched in the final calculations that were necessary.

"That should do it my friends. Next stop… the future." Robo said bringing Marle and Crono back to earth. 

"Right… let's created a world where all people will finally be free. Where our daughter can grow up away from the tyranny that evil has plagued us with." Marle said defiantly.

"To the future and world where peace is normal, not an exception. I will make this world free for my daughter and for all the people of this world, Robo… punch it." Crono said as the Blackbird began to move. Marle and Crono stood together as the gateway opened in front of them. They were now only a few steps away from the final conflict that would decide that fate of everything that ever was.


	13. Tears of a Cry Lost in the Darkness

_Authors Notes: Sorry about the length of time between this chapter and Captured. I had a few projects to finish up for my college classes and work got in the way as well. In addition since the halfway through Torn between Love and Honor everything has been written as I released. The first chapters leading up to that had been written about three years ago. I decided to finish the story a few weeks ago and let the public read it. Hope you are enjoying it. _

Chapter 13

Tears of a Cry Lost in the Darkness

The flight through the gate was much more difficult this time. Robo knew when he programmed the Blackbird that it could not take the sheers that were within the time vortex. When the group went through the vortex, they couldn't feel the sheers because they were no long in sync with time. The Epoch didn't have any trouble passing through them because it was designed for them. The Blackbird however was constructed to rain destruction from the heavens of Zeal. The hull just wasn't strong enough to face the force of the gravity sheers. 

"Rough ride, what's going on Robo?" Crono asked trying to keep himself in one place.

"The bucket isn't built to take the stress of intertemporal travel. I can only hope that my calculations are correct, otherwise…" He stopped before he finished.

"Otherwise what?" Marle asked.

"Otherwise, we become preverbal stew. These graviton sheers will rip us open like a sardine can and we will fly off into nothingness." Robo said looking over his calculations.

"What?!" Marle said practically strangling him.

"Though Lucca knew more of this then I, I shall try to explain. Gravity is the force the keeps us on the ground…"

"I UNDERSTAND THAT!" Marle screamed reminding Robo that she had changed.

"Yes, sorry. Anyway, these gates are nothing more then gravity in its most compact form. What we are traveling through are high-energy gravity wells that connect two points in the time-space continuum. That said, the force of gravity is much stronger in here then it outside. Therefore; something that either isn't out of sync with time, such as we are or isn't constructed to take that kind of gravity is blown apart quite easily. I have calculated our trajectory across the area of the least gravity… I just hope the ship will hold."

"Why did we have to take the Blackbird, and why from a different world?" Crono asked as ship began to creak.

"Because the Blackbird was the only remaining ship with the capabilities to even attempt this. The different world was because it had been destroyed in ours." Robo concluded, as the creaks got much worse.

"Alert, hull stress critical." The display flashed as they could hear the ship breaking apart. 

"No good shall come of this." Robo said looking over the many controls of the ship. 

"What exactly can we do?" Crono asked coming up beside him.

"For starters… pray that we survive long enough to reach the other end of this time warp." Robo said as he altered some of his calculations. The three of them looked on, as the end of the warp seemed to be miles away. As Robo enter a few last recalculations in, the ship shook violently.

"What was that?" Marle asked taking hold of Crono.

"Nothing much, just the ship being torn apart. We have about forty-five seconds until the entire ship gets ripped away." Robo said as he looked over his work.

"How can you be so CALM!?" Marle screamed. 

"Because, there is the other end of the gate." Robo said as the air flashed in front of them. They emerged into a blue sky that was much different from the sky they remembered from journeys past. 

"Well I have some good news and some bad news." Robo said breaking through Crono and Marle's astonishment at the sky.

"That being?" Crono asked.

"Well the good news is that we made it through the time vortex. The bad news is… I can't keep the ship in the air." Robo said as he frantically adjusted the controls in an attempt to keep them from falling. They all looked on in horror as the ground edged closer to them with each passing second. 

"Hold on, this is going to be one bumpy landing." Robo said as he strapped himself in. Crono and Marle did the same as the ship came in contact with the ground, hard. The jolt nearly knocked all of them out of their seats.However, they were just at the beginning of their slide as the ship continued to come apart. The left wing flew off causing the entire ship to go into a roll that ripped off the right wing. Soon the ship was spinning towards the ocean in front. 

"Anyone for a swim?" Crono screamed as he took Marle's hand. Robo was doing just about everything he could in attempt to halt their advance towards the sheer cliffs. However, the constant rolling of the command pit wasn't helping his balancing systems much. As shook his head clear and was finally able to get the inertial reducing jets to fire. The ship came to a screeching halt just as they reached the edge of the cliffs. 

"Water has never been very good for me, I prefer a hot oil bath myself." Robo said with a chuckle. Crono and Marle just shook their heads as they released themselves from the restraints of the ship. They all exited the ship and Marle and Crono were delighted with a scene that they had not had the chance to witness before. 

"So the future did change, by stopping Lavos we put right what he put wrong." Marle said gleefully.

"Not exactly. You see when I returned; humans weren't just being ground up like the mother had done to them. No, Gato was more sinister. He had enslaved them to build all of his robot minions and then had them all hunted down like wild animals when he enough robots to build more themselves. He erased my memory and personality protocols as well as the emotions that Lucca had initially showed me and made me into that unfeeling thing that Crono first came across. Until that moment, I was one of Gato most efficient killers. I despised humans more then he. Had Crono not come along when he did…" Robo said dropping to his knees.

"That wasn't you, that was what Gato had programmed into you." Crono said coming beside him.

"Yeah, it's just like what Tempest had me do to those people in the other world. You cannot blame yourself for actions that you could not control." Marle said looking to Crono for approval. Crono nodded accepting that she had acknowledged what he had told her. 

"It isn't that simple. I did what I did knowingly… I knew what I was doing. I knew the lives I was tearing apart, I knew the families I was destroying; you don't have to live with what you did… I do. Everyday of this journey, I am haunted by the faces, the last words of the people I slaughtered for nothing more then orders!" Robo screamed as he moved closer to the cliff.

"Whoa there bubby, that cliff ain't gonna solve anything." Crono said trying to change his course. Robo just looked over the cliff and saw the waves crashing below him. He wondered what he was going to do. He knew that wasn't the path that he had to take, but he wondered when the time came to do what needed to be done. He thought long and hard and then realized that he was left alive for this one, superior purpose. He stood and walked back from the cliff and looked at the sun above him. He knew what it was like to be under the sun for hours at time, working on Fiona's forest had shone him that. Then that thought struck him, what he had done for her and for humanity itself. He looked out over the cliffs but was to far away to see the main continent. He knew though, he knew that that forest still existed to this day. It was under his personal protection and he would not let it be cleared. 

"You're right, I have a much more important mission to attend to. I will restore life to this future just as I did with all of you before. We do not have that much time. We will stay here until nightfall, then we will attempt to cross the bridge for the main continent. From there, we will head to Lab 1 and face our destiny… in whatever form it decides to take." Robo said as he looked at the sun. Crono meanwhile walked over to Marle who was staring at the remains of the Blackbird.

"Penny for your thoughts." Crono said standing beside her. She didn't answer; she just kept looking at the Blackbird. Crono noticed that she was looking at a particular section of the fuselage. He noticed there was a small opening there with a ladder that led into the ship.

"What is up with that area?" He asked, still receiving no answer. 

"Marle?" He asked quietly. She turned and fell into his arms with tears in her eyes.

"Marle, what's wrong?" He asked holding her.

"That's… that's where Dalton held us after we were captured. Without you, I thought we would surely spend the rest of our lives there. I couldn't let Ayla or Lucca see what I was feeling. Lucca was going through her own emotional summersaults and Ayla would have called me weak and wouldn't have listened to anything I said." Marle stopped as the pain in her heart was becoming unbearable.

"It's over now. We are together and that is all that matters. If you need to cry then I am right here and always will be to catch your tears when they fall. You took command and held you emotions in when that was necessary, now there is nothing stopping you from feeling what you felt then. My shoulder will always be here for you to cry on. I will be here to dry those tears until the end of time, I swore to that before and I reaffirm my pledge now." He said as he looked into her eyes through her crystal colored tears. The way the sunlight hit her eyes made the green color become all the more robust, it was still the most beautiful thing Crono had ever seen. He brought her lips to his and came together in a kiss, confirming what he said was true.

"Oh Crono… I missed you so much then. I couldn't think of my life without you." Marle said as tears of joy washed away the tears of sorrow.

"My life would not exist had it not been for the effort you made. We are now one and I wouldn't have it any other way." Crono said as he pulled her as close to him as she could be. Marle could hear his heart beat through his armor, a sound that she knew quite well. Through all of this Robo looked on and then looked towards the sky.

"Soon… soon we shall be together again. I can feel it." He said as he looked at the now setting sun.Marle and Crono separated and then returned to Blackbird. Marle had a look of sheer anger in her eyes as she addressed the ship.

"You big hunk of tin, this is all your fault!" She said as she kicked it. She smiled and then heard a small rumbling. Crono heard it to as the sound got louder. He reacted just in time to pull Marle away as the ground below her gave way and the remains of the ships plummeted to the sea underneath.

"Gee, you and the Blackbird just don't get along do you? I mean first you blast it and now you kick it off a cliff." Crono said with a chuckle. Marle pulled herself away from him and then gave him a sneer.

"Ha ha, very funny." She retorted.

"Actually, if you think about… it was." Robo said coming over to inspect what had happened.

"You stay out of this, who asked you anyway?" Marle said as the smile returned to her face.

"Well, no one; but I thought I could be of some help." Robo said with a chuckle of his own.

"Whatever." Marle said joining in the laughing. She looked back at Crono and saw him looking up into the sky.

"What are you thinking?" Marle asked.

"The last time we were here together like this, clouds blotted out the sun and there was nothing in the way of grass or plants. Now looked at it… it's fertile again, just like home." Crono said looking over at her.

"Yeah, a lot has changed since we acted to change time." Marle said walking over to him.

"But… look at we have created. This is a world where humans were hunted and destroy by robots. Did we change things for the better or for the worse?" Crono said looking down at the ground.

"Crono… don't start doubting our actions now. We did what we had to do to save the world before and we are here to do it again. I want a world were our daughter doesn't have to put up with this darkness and the only way I can do it is with you. You have been telling me that we are one and that we must do this to save our friends. Please, keep that flame of hope alive within you… because we all need it." Marle said as she turned him around. They embraced and Crono knew she spoke the truth. Robo looked out and saw the sun had slipped beyond the horizon. He knew it was time to go and he also knew it was time to face the fate that was decided for him long ago.

"We haven't that much time, we must hurry to cross the bridge that leads to the Zenan Continent. If we are caught out here when daylight rises again…" Robo said as he began to move.

"What?" Crono asked.

"We will be vaporized. Every morning at dawn, a neutron dispersal field is laid across the world. Anyone with organic material in their body is painfully vaporized… Gato's way of cleansing his planet of 'organic filth'." Robo said as Crono and Marle followed closely behind him.

"Well, that's the last thing we want. We don't want you do this alone." Marle said.

"Alas, the field would scramble my systems as well. I would be as dead as you. It was Gato's way of keeping his troops in line."

"Then we better keep moving. Our first target is Gato, then we shall find the path to forever." Crono said as he joined Robo. They walked across a bridge that seemed to stretch for miles. Crono and Marle had seen technology both from Lucca and from their journeys here before, but nothing like this. The Zenan Bridge was about a mile long and it was incredible feet of engineering that took years to complete when it was completed in 537 A.D.It was rebuilt in 600 after Magus's forces destroyed it. It went much quicker then because it was the only way to protect the southern part of the confederation from his attacks. However, those architects would die again if they saw this. The bridge was constructed of a strange black smooth stone and had yellow and white lines going across it. The structure itself was constructed of metal, much stronger then that of 1000 A.D. Robo chuckled to himself at the look of awe on both of their faces as they crossed the bridge. However, that feeling of lightness quickly turned to alertness when he detected what he had been waiting to detect since they had started their journey. 

"We've got company. Aerial drones, about ten of them… nothing we can't handle." Robo said as he armed himself. Robo said as ten silhouettes appeared on the horizon. Robo was ready and started firing as soon as they got into range. He took out about three before Marle joined his assault and blasted one for herself. This continued all ten had been dispatched, Marle cheered but Robo was less then happy.

"Don't get too excited, apparently that wasn't all that Gato had waiting for us." He said as twenty more of them appeared on the horizon. Crono just stood in the background watching. His weapon was not suited for the battle at hand and he knew that he would just get in Marle and Robo's collective way by attempting to fight. He looked around and saw what was coming at them.

"I caused this. I had convinced myself that it was all right because I had at least defeated Lavos, but look at what else I have wrought." He said doubting himself. He looked up just in time to see that one of the drones had snuck around them and was about to attack Marle. He jumped to action and slashed at but it a strange shield that prevented his hits from having any effect. However, he had done his job; he drew the thing off of Marle… only now it was trained on him. He dodged its attacks but knew he couldn't keep it up. He was nearly gunned down when another blast hit the drone destroying it utterly. 

"Better be careful there… I might not be here next time to save your skin." A cool, laidback voice stated from behind. When all was said and done the three of them turned around to see a very familiar face.

"Johnny!" Marle said.

"You seem to have me at an advantage there gorgeous, you know me but I don't have the pleasure of knowin' you." He said as he stood before them.

"Ahh yes, now I remember. Johnny was one of the few bots that survived being controlled by Gato. He fights and protects the last remaining humans on the planet." Robo said stepping forward. Both bots looked each other over, Johnny's arm quickly changed back into its weapon form. 

"Another one of Gato's slime." Johnny said taking aim.

"Wait… wait, he fought with us to destroy those other robots and is here to stop Gato." Marle said stepping forward.

"Well then, I am always glad to have an extra cat along." Johnny said 

"No Marle… he is right. I am just another piece of slime. In fact, I am the leader of that slime. I am the bot once called Prometheus." Robo said disarming himself.

"Say what? You mean you are Prometheus!" Johnny said taking a double take.

"I am afraid so." Robo said quietly.

"Do you know the suffering you have caused?! I was originally constructed to entertain humans, now look at me. Because of you and your kind, my creators were force to make me into a weapon; I don't even have the ability to race anymore. And now you stand before me… you will pay for what you have done." Johnny said powering his weapon. Marle was going to step forward but Crono grabbed her.

"This is something he has to face." Crono said calmly.

"Fire… you would be perfectly warranted in doing so. I have caused the deaths of countless millions. I forgot who I was and killed every living thing I came across without concern, without joy, without malice. I did it with indifference, I didn't CARE and therefore must pay. So fire… end both of wretched existences." Robo said calmly. 

"What are you talking about!?" Johnny said as his gunarm twitched.

"Marle did not lie about my reasons for being here. I am here to put a stop to Gato's madness. But I do deserve to pay for my crimes. If must do so by your hands then so be it. However, I am the only one who can get you past the neutron scattering field." Robo continued.

"You know had to get through the jaws of death?" Johnny said no wavering.

"Of course I do, I was Gato's right hand. Allow me to live now and face Gato and I assure you that I will face justice for what I have done. Remember, I am the only one that can put right what I have made wrong. I don't ask you to trust and I doubt you ever will. But know this; If I succeed, none of this will ever happen." Robo finished as Johnny looked at him.

"You are the only one that can get passed that horrid field. You live… for now. But if I even think for a second that you are going to harm what's left of the humans…"

"If I hurt anyone… then I would expect no less then death." Robo finished for him. Johnny looked at him for a second with an angry scowl and then looked at Crono and Marle.

"I welcome you both of you to a very bleak place. Though both of you seem to be very healthy; how have you escaped the neutron radiation?" Johnny asked shoving Robo out of the way. 

"Neutron radiation?" Marle asked.

"Yes, one of the side effects of the constant 'cleansing' Gato performs. It has saturated this world with neutron particles. In small doses there is no effect. But with the large amounts that are present, organic tissue starts to burn away. That was the whole reason for it." Robo said coming beside them.

"Yes and you and your boss seem to think it's a good way of exterminating what you call the filth!" Johnny said not even looking at him. 

"Look, Robo may have done a lot to you before we found him; but he has changed. He has fought along side us and with fight along side you if you give him the chance." Crono stated.

"Yes, and if I give him the chance, he will turn me and every last human over to Gato for slaughter. I won't now nor will I ever trust this trash, and you can bank on that!" Johnny said turning from them.

"We don't have time to argue, dawn is approaching and we must not be outside." Robo said interrupting the argument about him that didn't involve him.

"To tell you the truth, if it was just you… I wouldn't mind watching you fry. It is against my directives to see humans harmed though. Quickly, follow me; I will lead you to a safe place where you can chill." Johnny said as he changed into an armored and armed motorcycle and sped off. Crono, Marle and Robo followed behind him as he cross the bridge to the continent. They caught up to him at the entrance of a small cavern. They followed him inside just as sunlight broke over the horizon. Marle looked behind her to see that a forcefield had closed off the entrance of the cavern. She caught up with the rest of the group as they headed further into cavern. They finally reached a large inner chamber filled with cots and crates. Marle looked around and what she saw almost made her sick. The people here were worse then those that they had first met in future time. Those people were just weak and small; these… could only be described as the stuff of nightmares. They had large, purple and black lesions that covered their entire bodies. Though they seemed to be going about normal business, she could tell that the lesions were not the only problems. Even the children that were 'happily' playing, hacked and coughed in between their giggles. These people were sick and she went right to work to see if anything could be done. She cast auras, cures and lifes; she even attempted to administer herbal remedies that she had learned from the castle maids. She did everything she could for three nights straight and nothing to seem to do more then just make the people more comfortable. Crono in the mean looked around and saw everything as a mistake he had made.

"I tried to save the future and in doing so I only pushed it further towards its own demise. God, was I stupid to think that I could actually change; I am nothing more then a weakling." Crono said beating himself. Marle overheard and knew she had to act for him. She was exhausted, sure, but that was just a physical thing; Crono was dealing with something much worse. 

"You are not a weakling. You are the man I love. We fought and defeated Lavos to save the future, we didn't know that this was going to be the result; we couldn't of. You can't blame yourself for the actions of destiny; however what you can do is attempt to fight it. Which is exactly why we are here! You cannot doubt your actions just because of one bad outcome, with everything we have experienced together; you would think that you of all people could see that destiny's word can be rebutted! I brought you back from the dead doing just that and we will do the same for these people, even if it costs us our lives. It was _you_ who showed me this and I am not going to let you forget it. We are one, both of hearts must be strong; for as long as they are nothing can beat us." Marle said hugging him. He looked down at the woman he loved and nearly laugh at the role reversal. It was usually he who was helping her, but he knew that she had the strength to make that a two way street and she had been doing that for a while. He looked down at her and kissed her, she had restored his faith in what he was doing with mere words and knew she would always be there when he needed her, as he would be there for her. 

"You should go rest, I will see what I can do for them." Crono said as he practically held her up.

"Right." She returned breathlessly. He set her against the wall and walked into the cavern. He turned back around and saw her looking at him with those emerald green eyes of hers and knew just what to say.

"I would not be able to live without you… thank you." He said as he turned away to check on the people. Marle picked herself up and walked back to the cavern entrance where Johnny was standing vigilant guard. 

"It really looks beautiful if you think about it… almost like a prism shell rainstorm." Marle said looking on in awe at the light show outside of the cavern. Multicolored light filled the sky and slowly fell to the ground like a spring rain.

"Yes, but beauty had it's price and every rose has its thorns. If you were to step out into that 'prism rain shower',' he turned to her, 'you would be vaporized in a blink of an eye. The only thing left of you would be your armor, perfectly intact. Your hair, your skin, your organs, everything… gone, painfully I might add." He said turning back to the scene.

"Why aren't we being affected by it now then?" Marle asked looking outside again.

"Static electric field stops the effects of the neutrons." He answered tossing a nearby stone towards the cavern doorway. When it reached the threshold of the cavern, ripples went out as if he had throne a pebble in a puddle. 

"So what is wrong with these people?" Marle asking remembering the bruised and scared faces of those she had been desperately trying to help for the better part of three days.

"Neutrino poisoning. It's what happens after constant exposure to neutron radiation. I was never strong enough to erect a field that would block the neutron field as a whole. Those it does afford protection, it does allow small amounts of neutrino or charged neutron particles through. Everybody can take small to moderate doses of the stuff without being effected by it, however if you continually take those doses your immunity starts breaking down and eventually you fall to it. What you have seen is the tip of the iceberg, I haven't let you see the worst cases." He said turning back to her. 

She thought about his words… "How much worse could it get?" 

"Come with me." He said taking her away from the entrance. He led her beyond the area where most of the people were gathered. When she walked passed it she saw Crono playing a strange game that she had seen the children playing, she smiled when she thought of all the times they were going to share with their daughter. Her mind quickly focus and she was shown the worse thing she had ever seen in her life besides Crono's death. She looked around the room that Johnny had led her to in horror. She was in room filled with beds, those beds filled with moaning people, screaming children and destroyed bodies. 

"This is advanced stage Neutrino Poisoning… this is the end Gato has planned for all remaining humans and there is nothing I can do about it." Johnny said hold the hand of what looked to be the remains of a young girl. She was trying to cry but her tears had long since dried up. Her body was covered with the lesions, but these were much more infected. It looked like her body was falling apart and in fact, it was. Johnny bowed his as Marle watched the girl struggle on her last breaths and die in his hands.

"Is there nothing…?" Marle asked tears forming.

"You've done everything that is possible… making them comfortable. Death is inevitable for the human race… and for me. I have failed them all." Johnny said solemnly.

"Maybe not. I told you I have a way to get us past the Neutron Scattering field that surrounds Lab 1 and I think now is the time we must use it. Marle and Crono posses a magical field around them that prevents the effects of neutrino poisoning. I believe that after three days of research, I have come up with a way to strength that field to protect all of us from the effects of the scattering field. With this we can enter Lab 1 and put a stop to Gato's madness once and for all. After which, we can get you and Crono to forever to face off against Tempest. Defeat her there and you set right what has been put wrong and none of this will ever have happened." Robo said walking on them.

"Then what are we waiting for. We have a battle to fight don't we?" Crono stated joining them.

"This is what we are fighting to prevent, let's put our best into it." Marle said with determination brimming from every corner of her being.

"I still don't trust you, but if this works and none of this ever happens… that won't ever matter. Lead the way." Johnny said as the four of them left the cavern. Robo looked across the sky at the looming skyscraper that was Lab 1. He knew soon he would face the destiny that was mapped out for him long ago… he could almost here the tear hit the pool of darkness that surrounded his heart…


	14. The Time Draws Near

Chapter 14

The Time Draws Near

"There it is, that abomination is Lab 1." Johnny said pointing to a far off, bleak looking building that touched the very sky. Crono and Marle could only gawk at the sight before them. The building itself was made of strange, stone like material, which Robo later called concrete. It was twenty times the height of Castle Guardia and to them literately touched the sky. 

"This is incredible. You mean that we actually gain the ability to construct such buildings?" Marle asked turning to Robo.

"This is nothing, you have seen the domes from before." Robo said pointing to one of the far off domes. 

"Human ingenuity came up with the idea. Robots under the thumb of Gato, had human slaves construct them. Who knows, in this new world maybe we won't ever see things like this." Johnny said looking on.Cron and Marle thought about Johnny's words. What were they going to create in this new world? Would they actually succeed in creating a world where humanity could finally live free? Marle looked over at Crono who had an angry look on his face.

"We will put right what has been put wrong here. I promise this to you Johnny, after we're done; you'll be back to you good old racing self." Crono said, as his angered looked changed to a reassuring smile. Marle turned back to see that Robo was not so happy. He had a cold look in his that she had never seen the lovable robot with. 

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, just thinking about the past… my past." He answered returning his glare to the far off abomination of the structure.

"That wasn't you. You didn't have control over what you did!" Marle said slapping him upside his metal head.

"That is exactly what Kain said to me. I just don't know if is true or not." Robo returned.

"Lucca once said to me that robots are neither good nor evil, they just follow the orders of their programmers… well maybe not exactly that, but it's true! You didn't have any control over what you were doing here before Crono found on his journey, Gato saw to that. We need you, we don't know how to get through this and most likely wouldn't be able to without you. Now come on, show us the way." Marle said as she pointed the way for him to go. He was happy that she was trying to help him and readily accepted it, but he knew that his destiny was unavoidable; he would pay for his crimes soon enough. However, he knew that he had to get them where they needed to be first.

"Come on everybody, we are going right to door. Afterall, it would be rude of us as guests not to knock first." Robo said as he led them across the ground. They all stayed low as to avoid detection by the aerial drones and ground runners. They finally had crossed enough ground and Robo knew that it was his time to shine.

"Alright everybody, stop here. This is as far as we go without assistance. Here, I have designed these to be attuned to each of your bodies." Robo said handing out small devices to each of the group.

"What are they?" Crono asked examining the device.

"They are field generators, designed to create a field similar to that of the prism aura that surrounds you both. However, it is much stronger and made with one major modification; it can block the effects of the Neutron Scattering Field." Robo said as his pressed the button on top of the device he kept for himself. As he pressed the button the device activated and a prism colored field surrounded him. Crono and Marle in tuned activate theirs; Johnny however was a little more skeptical.

"So what, I am just supposed to press this button and this magical field comes out and encompasses me… right. So what, does this make us more detectable or maybe it just kills us outright. I don't trust you for a second and certainly don't have time for this." Johnny said as he tossed the device back to Robo. He stood up and began to walk away when an alarm sounded in the distance. Robo looked over as the guards on the tower prepared a Neutron cannon shot. He didn't think, he just acted. He stood and ran at Johnny as the guards fired their deadly weapon. The bolt struck him as Johnny turned around and realized what had happened.

"… EMERGENCY, SEVERE SYSTEM SHOCK. MAIN POWER SCRAMBLED" The computer voice rang through his mind.

"Go to auxiliary systems. Begin auto repair." Robo responded to himself.

"AFFIRMATIVE, AUXILIARY SYSTEMS ACTIVE, AUTO REPAIR IN PROGRESS." The computer responded as he felt some of the pain disappear. He stood to see that Johnny was simple in awe at what he did.

"What… how did you survive that? Why did you risk your life to save mine?" Johnny asked dumfounded.

"I survived… because the prism field works. I did what I did… because it was what partners do. I cannot accomplish this battle alone and as lone as we are working together we need to have at least some trust for each other." Robo struggled as he said this.

"I am not saying that I trust you,' Johnny said offering him a hand up, 'but you just took a huge step up in my book." Robo accepted his hand and brushed himself off.

"That is good enough for me right now." Robo said assessing the damage. However, before he could run an internal check; his computer already had an answer.

"AUTO REPAIR COMPLETE, MAIN POWER RESTORED TO NINTY-ONE PERCENT EFFICIENCY." It sounded throughout his CPU.

"Three percent less then nominal… it will have to do." Robo said as he turned around to face the guard post where they were recharging the Neutron Cannon that had shot him. 

"Computer, acquire target." He said aiming his gunarm.

"TARGET ACQUISITION IN PROGRESS…5…4…3… UNABLE TO COMPLIE, MALFUNCTION, TARGETING SENSORS OFFLINE."

"What, explain. Why didn't auto repair fix targeting sensors?" Robo asked, as he knew his time was quickly becoming shorter.

"TARGETING SYSTEM DAMAGE IRREPARABLE, SEVERE NEUTRON PARTICLE CONTAMINATION."

"Fine, activate manual targeting sight." Robo said as small set of crosshairs appeared at the top of the barrel of his gun arm. He knew that was not going to be as accurate a shot but with shell, it really didn't matter.

"System, activate Quantum Field Charge." He stated taking aim. He weapon charged and he got his bearings. He discharged the massive shell and it flew forward to its target. Crono and Marle watch in awe as a massive explosion rocked the front of the building. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the guard towards was completely wiped out of existence.

"Any questions?" Robo said as his hand returned. 

"Quantum Field Charge… are you insane? That could have killed us all!" Johnny said slightly annoyed.

"Why, what's wrong with a quantum field charge?" Crono asked as the two robots stared at each other.

"With a quantum field charge, there is a low risk of punching holes in the fabric of time. Earlier experiments had us doing this about once a week. But know that they are perfected the risk is minimal." Robo said returning Johnny's scowl. 

"Still, I didn't like them then and I still don't. Besides a normal blasting shell probably would have done the job." Johnny said turning away.

"Yes, but in this case I needed weakened time-space layers. That way our fields will be more effective." Robo said picking up Johnny's discarded field generator. 

"Oh yeah, that." Johnny said looking back at the Lab building before them.

"Here, catch." Robo said tossing him the field generator.

"I guess I use try this thing out. Besides, those colors make me look even cooler… if such a thing is possible." Johnny said activating the field. Crono and Marle laughed as this statement reminded them so much of the original Johnny.Robo just shook his head and looked on. 

"Come, we don't have much time before the aerial patrol returns; we must hurry." Robo said calling them forth. They followed closely behind him. After a few hundred meters of running, they reached the gates to Lab 1. Johnny looked up at the ominous entrance of the place that had haunted his mind since it was created a century before. The building was even more massive up close. Two large metal towers that Robo and Johnny could identify right away as the power source for the Neutron Scattering Field framed the entrance. Crono and Marle couldn't help but stare at the black and menacing building.

"Well, this is where we see if these things actually work." Robo said pointing towards the towers. Johnny looked on skeptically and Robo just shook his head.

"Fine, I will go first." Robo stated as he crossed the threshold. As he touched the field, it immediately became visible to all of them as it sparked and sputtered around him. He crossed the boundary with no problem.

"Apparently, I was right. Come on, we need to keep going." Robo said as Crono and Marle crossed the barrier followed by a reassured Johnny. Crono entered the building and actually could feel the chills running down his spine. He looked back at the automatic doors slid closed behind… leaving them in complete darkness.

"Anybody got a light?" Marle asked with a strained little chuckle. However, Robo was not one to be unprepared for the perils of his old home. He pressed a set of buttons on his shoulders and two flaps popped open and from them light shined on their surroundings.Not to be outdone, Johnny activated his own light source and it became as bright as it was on the outside. However, this really wasn't an advantage as what lay before them came into view.

"What is that?" Marle asked in near horror. For with the light in full focus, a foreboding maze came into view. The paths stretched for what seemed like miles before them. It looked as if it had no ending.

"That,' Johnny let out a sigh, 'is the maze of forgotten souls. I had heard rumors of its existence but never thought it would be anything like this." Johnny said activating a scan to attempt to find a way through.

"Why is called something like that?" Crono asked looking over it.

"It is believe that once, a long time ago this place housed a government office where humans came to get permission to drive automobiles. It was said that the people were forced to spend so much time in these lines that they eventually forgot who they were and why they had come to this place in the first place… I believe they called it a DMV, whatever that means." Johnny said returning to his scan.

"That entire idea is preposterous, besides this was built to keep intruders from reaching the inner sanctum of the lab. It is beyond this maze that the central chamber lies. We must fight our way through here to reach Gato." Robo corrected him.

"So does that mean that you know a way through this?" Johnny asked him.

"I used to spend most of time here, of course I know a way through. However, my command authorization is no longer functioning so we will have to fight our way through." Robo said calling upon his weapon.

"That's never stopped us before, let's go." Crono said summoning his lance. Marle and Johnny both prepared their weapons and jumped to the ready as Robo signaled them all forward.

……………………………………………………………………

"We can't go any further, we'll have to rest here for a while." Robo said leaning against a wall.

"You are actually thinking about stopping? What are you insane?" Johnny asked as he looked around for more drones. They had been fighting their way through column after column of drones guard for the better part of a day. Robo knew that he and Johnny could continue as long as their power cells held out. However, he knew that Marle and Crono didn't have that luxury. Marle helped Crono down against a wall. He held his shoulder, which had been blasted by an errant shot a few hours prior and all the activity was finally catching up with him. Marle did the best she could to help him but she was weakened as well by the bond they shared and Robo knew this full well. 

"No I am not insane,' Robo walked over to Johnny and picked him up as if he were nothing more then a throw pillow, 'Crono and Marle need a rest and you and I are going to make sure they get it. Got it!" He said as he put him down.

"I got it, I got it." Johnny agreed brushing himself off as he followed Robo to ahead. Marle and Crono laid in each others arms, attempting to recover from the exhaustions. 

"I didn't… think it would be this hard." Crono said as Marle rested her head against his chest.

"We'll be all right, it will just get some taking used to. Mostly we are tired because of that wound. I was able to heal it, but it took a lot of energy from both of us." She said with a yawn.

"Yeah, I can feel that it's gone; but it still stings." He said as he looked down at an already sleeping Marle.

"Goodnight sweet princess." He whispered as he kissed her hair and fell asleep. 

………………………………………………………………………………

Robo and Johnny spent their time patrolling the area.

"Why are they so important to you?" Johnny asked breaking the deafening silence.

"It is not me that they are important to… it is all of us." Robo answered back.

"What does that mean?" 

"They are the keys to ending this horrible timeline and replacing it with a better one. Only they have the strength to face Tempest and Gato. Only they can put right what has been put wrong here." Robo said cryptically.

"You know something that you are not telling me or them for that matter don't you?" Johnny returned.

"Yes."

"So tell me." Johnny ordered.

"Very well." Robo said as he spent the next few hours explaining the black file, the mission, and everything he knew. Johnny just stood there dumbfounded.

"How could you know all that?" He asked.

"I am unsure of just who placed this file within me, I do know however what will be outcome of all of this." Robo responded.

"Is there nothing we can do to alter this destiny?" Johnny asked processing what he had just been told.

"Think about what you just said, destiny. No, there is no way to alter this for if we did so; existence itself could come suffer serious harm."

"So what you are saying is, if we do what we are supposed to do. This timeline will be averted entirely and everything will be better?" Johnny asked as they continued their scans.

"That's not what I am saying at all." Robo answered quietly.

"Then what are you saying. From what you explained, that's what it sounds like." Johnny stopped and looked at him.

"You misunderstand me. If we do what we are supposed to do, this timeline will be erased and replaced with a new one. There is no way of telling whether it will be better or not. It is the risk you take with temporal mechanics, you can never be certain of what will happen. Only if you erase time itself and start over, can you truly know how it will flow and even then it is a mere guess as to what choices will be made. I told you of Chronopolis and the mistakes they made."

"Yes, but you also told me that that doesn't happen anymore in this timeline."

"Of course it happens, because it already has. Only the Chrono Trigger can reset time and erase this paradox." Robo returned.

"Ok, you lost me dude." Johnny said scratching his synthetic hair.

"All you need to know is what we must do. As long as we play our parts the rest will fall into place." Robo said as they reached a crossroads.

"Now which way?" Johnny asked looking up and down the roads.

"Spilt up, you go that way, I'll go this way. We'll meet back here in ten minutes." Robo said as he started down one the corridor that lied to their left. He looked back in time to see that Johnny had already left his sight. Robo looked around and realized that he wasn't alone. It had been a hard sixteen hours to reach where they were presently. It had taken a lot out of all them, Crono and Marle especially; but he knew what he had to do. He activated his weapon and began to fight with the few drones that had surrounded him. These battle were getting more difficult as they went along, as he knew they would and must.

"Computer, condition report."

"MAIN POWER… 57% EFFICIENCY"

"AUXILLARY POWER… 64% EFFICIENCY"

"EMERGENCY POWER… DEPLETED."

"WEAPON ARRAY… 45% EFFICIENCY… MALFUNCTION: TARGETING SENSOR OFFLINE."

"INTERNAL COOLING… 13% EFFICIENCY… CAUTION: SYSTEM TEMPERATURE 94 DEGREES CELSIUS AND RISING."

"INTERNAL SENSORS… 71% EFFICIENCY"

"LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM… 62% EFFICIENCY… CAUTION: STASIS LOCK RECOMMENDED AT 30% EFFICIENCY."

"COMUNICATION SYSTEM… 84% EFFICIENCY"

"SYSTEM CHECK COMPLETE." 

"OVERALL RATING… 53% EFFICIENCY. CAUTION: MODERATE SYSTEM DAMAGE… AUTO REPAIR SYSTEM: OFFLINE" Robo listened as his internal voice told him the brunt of the problem. 

"53%… Soon, very soon." He said to himself as he turned around and returned to where Johnny was already waiting for him. Johnny immediately noticed that the normally chipper Robo was not his usual self.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing, you know what I… what we must face. I just know that we shall face it soon. The entrance to the stronghold is up ahead. There Crono and Marle will face Gato and decided the fate of the world. I am just pondering the possible results of that battle."

"But you know the results of that battle." Johnny reminded him.

"Not only that, but the results of this entire ordeal, what will happen after my file goes blank? Will time simply cease to exist?" Robo said as they returned to the sleeping Marle and Crono.

"Or perhaps something better. You yourself said we couldn't predict what will become of the timeline after this is all over. Perhaps even your programmer didn't know what was to become of all of this." Johnny said reassuring him.

"What happened to you not trusting me? Here you are reassuring me when yesterday you were ready to kill me." Robo said with a chuckle.

"No… I was ready to kill Prometheus, you are not that fiendish drone; you are Robo. You have saved my life more times then I can count over our travels together these two days." Johnny said patting his back.

"Good, because we both know what will become of us. It is time we awaken them and continue on. We have a timeline to change and world to put right."

Author's Note: You know, the more I write on this story, the more I have to write. When I started all that time ago, I finished with a mere eleven chapters and a short epilogue. Now, I have added characters, added intrigue and all the while, changed the whole path of the story. I don't even know where this is going to end. I hope you are enjoying the world I am creating. Stay tuned for the event I have been foreshadowing since chapter 10… I'll get to it eventually.


	15. Sacrifices to Destiny's Call

Chapter 15

Sacrifices to Destiny's Call 

"Mmmm." Marle said as she was roused awake by Crono's hand. All this time she had been sleeping soundly, dreaming of their life together after this thing was over. She could picture it all, a grand wedding in which all of their friends would be in attendance. She also saw the birth of their daughter and their life together. She saw how Crono would train her to be a warrior, just like her parents, but in this teaching would instill into the values of Strength, Courage, Determination and Valor that he had fought so hard to procure. She knew that it would be wonderful. She opened her eyes to see Crono standing over her. She always wondered why his hair always remained in the spike pattern, then she remembered that if it wasn't for her asking him to go back to it; he would still have that ugly long silver hair that didn't suit him at all. She liked him the way he was and was actually starting to like her own long hair. She guessed this was the way it was always meant to be.

"Good morning beautiful." Crono said to her quietly.

"How long did we sleep?" Marle asked looking more towards Robo and Johnny who were standing a few feet behind them. She noticed that both of them had more battle scares then they had had previously but that Robo was looking worse every minute. 

"Eight hours, enough time to heal your wounds." Robo said walking slowly towards them.

"Are you alright?" She asked being helped up by her love. 

"We have faced a lot of fighting since we left you. I will be fine, all internal systems are running perfectly." Robo said flex his arms.

"EMERGENCY: CORE TEMPERATURE REACHING CRITICAL… NINTY-EIGHT DEGREES CELSIUS AND RISING. COOLING SYSTEM… 4% EFFICIENCY. IMMEDIATE REPAIR REQUIRED." His internal computer flagged his lie to her. Luckily for him, he was the only one who could hear the annoying ominous voice inside his head. 

"Are you sure?" She asked him again.

"Yes, I am fine. We have only a few more kilometers to go to get through this nightmare. I suggest we make haste." Robo said calming her fears. Marle shook it off as nothing and followed her robot guides. Crono on the other hand was not fooled so easily.

"Robo, I know you lying… but why?" He asked himself. He wasn't sure why Robo would need to keep his damage from them but knew that if he kept going he was going to go beyond the point of repair. Crono continued to watch and think as they finished the course the led to the inner sanctum of the Lab. Battle by battle, little by little, Robo was getting worse and Crono knew that there wasn't much more that his Robo friend could take.

"Hey Robo, you ok over there?" Crono asked knowing the answer.

"I am… *static… fine." Robo said stressed.

"And you expect me to believe that for what reason?" Crono said helping him forward.

"It is not important… *static… We have reached our destination." Robo said as they rounded a corner and before them was a huge hall. The entry to the place was guarded by a strange swirl of energy.

"Pretty… what is it?" Marle asked looking at the rainbow colored cyclone in front of them.

"That… is a graviton tear. It is like a gate except for one major difference." Robo said leaning against a nearby wall.

"That is?" Crono asked.

"A gate is a tunnel through the gravitonic space. It has a beginning and an end and always leads to the same place. A graviton tear is an opening into gravitonic space that while having an end… is so charged with neutrons that it has been disrupted. This disruption makes it impossible to navigate." Robo said looking around.

"So how do we close this tear?" Johnny asked.

"The only way to close a graviton tear is by crossing into it." Robo said continuing to look around.

"Oh good, so we just throw something into it and get it out of our way." Marle said looking for a rock to toss into the rift.

"It's not that simple. To seal the tear, something with mass and energy has to pass through it. A rock or boulder is not alive and thus would simple pass throu… *static… it. We something with energy." Robo informed her.

"So where do we find something with energy that we can toss through this thing." Johnny said. Robo had been looking at the entrance for this entire time and wonder why the century lasers hadn't blasted them to atoms. He pushed himself off the wall and walked up towards the door. As he crossed the center of the room an alarm sounded.

"Welcome… children of time and to you Johnny. This is my stronghold… enter, if you are foolish enough to do so." An ominous yet almost lyrical voice murmured deeply.

"Gato…" Robo said continuing towards the door.

"Ahh! Prometheus, I am glad that you have returned. Allow me to extend to you a proper welcome." He said as the century cannons that Robo had been looking for came online… targeted for him. 

"NO!" Robo screamed as the energy blasts ripped through and he was tossed like a rag doll back to the wall behind him. Crono and Marle ran over to the now completely decimated Robo.

"Speak to me you bucket of bolts." Crono said propping him up.

"I… *static… am of no more use to you. Cross… *static… the barriers of time and space and set right what has been put… *static… wrong." Robo said as he shut down. Crono set him down and looked at the graviton tear that was blocking their path.

"Gato… are you afraid to face me, lower this barrier!… GATO!" Crono's words would come to no avail. Johnny looked over at the fall Robo. This machine was once his mortal enemy, but now… he had become his first friend.

"You know what you must do…" The voice resounded in his processor. He knew whom it was and what he had to do. If this was all meant to be replaced by a better then it would matter what he did now… just as long as they fulfilled their duty and fought the destiny that awaited all of them.

"Well, it's been a kick folks but I must be going. Have a riot and give that oversize calculator a hit or two from my greatest collection… see ya." With this, Johnny transformed into his bike form and drove towards the rift. As he crossed the threshold he could feel the gravity already ripping him apart.

"JOHNNY!" Marle screamed as Johnny stood and gave him his usual stance before the graviton serge got too much for him. He was ripped apart in a violent explosion that was contained by the closing of the tear. 

"He sacrificed himself for us… let's finish this and find our way to forever." Marle said as he stood from Robo.

"Are you going to be ok?" Crono asked Robo. 

"I… *static… shall be fine. Destiny has given you the call… it is time for you to answer it. Besides… *static… my auto-repair systems are online… I will be fine in a few minutes. You need to go and fight that monster in there." Robo said struggling to sit up.

"Are you sure that you are going to be fine?" Crono asked knowing that something was seriously wrong.

"Go… I shall join you shortly." Robo said bracing himself against the wall again. Marle and Crono gave each other a quick glance and then both looked forward with determination.

"It's time we put an end to this, once and for all." Marle stated making ready. She took Crono's hand, as he stood reflective.

"I made the mistake once of thinking that I could change time for the better. Maybe this is destiny… maybe we can change all we want but the more we change the worse things become. Are we really doing any good?" He stood his ground looking down at it. 

"Don't do this to yourself… not now. If you won't do this for the future then do this for Johnny, he sacrificed himself so that we could have the chance to change the future for the better. He believed that we could… and so do I. If you won't do this with me then I will do it alone." Marle said moving towards the opening as she let Crono's hand fall.

"Wait!" Crono screamed as he grabbed her hand. He looked into her eyes… the very same eyes that had reminded him of his love were now reminding him of his duty. 

"I won't let you do this alone. You're right… it is about time we put a stop to this. I have the belief of too many riding on me to give up now. I shall fight destiny and I will create a better future for us all." Crono said as Marle jumped and kissed him.

"Now that's the man I love. Come on… our future awaits us to create it." Marle said as they both ran towards the now open entry to the inner sanctum of the lab. Robo had been watching all of this from his vantage point and knew that the time to fulfill his duty was soon upon him.

"Computer, condition report."

"MAIN POWER… 0% EFFICIENCY"

"AUXILLARY POWER… 13% EFFICIENCY"

"EMERGENCY POWER… DEPLETED."

"WEAPON ARRAY… 16% EFFICIENCY… MALFUNCTION: TARGETING SENSOR OFFLINE."

"INTERNAL COOLING… OFFLINE… ALERT: CORE TEMPERATURE CRITICAL."

"INTERNAL SENSORS… OFFLINE"

"LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM… 5% EFFICIENCY… SYSTEM SEVERLY COMPROMISED."

"COMUNICATION SYSTEM… 6% EFFICIENCY… SYSTEM SEVERLY COMPROMISED"

"SYSTEM CHECK COMPLETE." 

"OVERALL RATING… 3.5% EFFICIENCY."

"EMERGENCY: SYSTEM SEVERLY COMPROMISED… IMMEDIATE STASIS LOCK REQUIRED TO REPAIR SYSTEMS."

"Transfer all remaining power to weapon array."

"UNABLE TO COMPLIE… I REPEAT: SYSTEM SEVERLY COMPROMISED… IMMEDIATE STASIS LOCK REQUIRED."

"Override."

"UNABLE… SYSTEM SEVERLY COM…

"Override!" Robo screamed to the voice in his head.

"STASIS LOCK… OVERRIDEN."

"Now, Transfer all remaining power to weapon array."

"POWER TRANSFER IN PROGRESS, CHARGING WEAPON'S ARRAY… COMPLETE SYSTEMS FAILURE IN TEN MINUTES."

"Good enough for one final shot." He said as he limped his way after Crono and Marle.


	16. The Gate is Open to You

Chapter 16

The Gate Is Open You

"So this is what has become of that old metal punching bag that we used to beat up for silver points." Crono said looking up at the terror that was before the both of them.

"Yes, I thoroughly remember that. Now it is time that you both become the punching bags." An ominously metallic voice came from the wall before them. He sat there in a throne that looked like it was part of a larger computer behind him. He had seemed to go through the same changes that Robo. Gone was the roundness, he was now sleeker, much more human like. He was huge, towering over them; as tall as the building itself. 

"The bigger they are the hard they fall!" Marle said as she readied her crossbow.

"You still don't understand do you? You cannot change time for the better, you first attempt should have taught you that. You got lucky before… now you die!" Gato retorted. Crono stood there and listened to his words. Was he right he? Was there no way that they could change time for the better? Then it dawned on him and his lance flared to life.

"NO!" Crono screamed. Marle turned to see him standing there defiantly and he saw the light in her eyes as he felt the very courage return to him.

"We didn't create this future, you did! We fought to create a peaceful future and we succeeded. It is evil like you and Tempest that made our efforts seem worthless. However, I will not allow them to be. I will not allow all those who have died on this journey to die in vain. I will have my friend and my future back! Even if I have to go through you to do it!" He yelled boldly as his lance shimmered with a light that it had no possessed before. 

"Fool, do you think that your organic power is any match for me?" Gato returned as dense energy field filled the room. Marle and Crono both dropped to their knees.

"That's right, organic insects; kneel before your master. This is a neutron field… you should start feeling your strength being drained from your worthless bodies any moment now, and to think; you thought you could beat me." Gato said with a sound that sounded like laugher. Crono gritted his teeth and force against the field holding him down. He saw the images of Lucca, Ayla, Frog, and Johnny and knew that there he had to stand.

"Wha… what is this power?" Gato said stunned as he witnessed Crono's movement upward.

"You see this Gato… it is the power of everyone who has every believed in me. No, my power alone probably couldn't beat you but when it is combined with the power of all those who believe in me… all those who have ever believed in me; I am more powerful then you could ever comprehend!." Crono said as barrier of light formed around him and he stood, undaunted by the field's energy. Marle felt the same power surge through her as she forced against the field and stood beside him. 

"Most of all you mechanized monstrosity, we have a power that flows between the both of us. A power that none of your little tricks could ever hope to stop." Marle joined Crono in his defiance. 

"So be it, I cannot fight this power. But that does not mean you have the power to touch me! I am the most power machine ever created, nothing can touch me!" Gato screamed as the energy that filled the room disappeared. It is place a force field formed around him. Crono and Marle just looked at each other and with a nod went to their work. Gato looked on as Marle let loose a barrage of crossbow bolts and Crono slashed his way at the field, both to no avail. Crono jumped up and released a crystal cross at the field that appeared almost to absorb the powerful blow. Marle seeing that her crossbow wasn't doing much good, threw it aside and started casting spells. Giant icicles pelted the force field, once again to no avail. Crono looked over to her and she had the same thought… they were getting nowhere. Marle charged her powers and Crono knew what was next. 

"Ready?!" She called out her hair was waving in the wind of the energy cause by the spell she was preparing. 

"Let's do it!" Crono called out as he lept into the air.

"Icefall!" The called out in unison as Marle released her power. The power accumulated in the ground below where Crono had leapt. He came down and his lance came in contact with the ground as a giant blade of ice blasted out from the impact. The collision with the field shattered the ice blade but much to their dismay did nothing to the field itself. Crono looked on as Gato charged an attack.

"Marle, look out!" He said as he ran to her and just narrowly forcing her to ground avoiding a blast from Gato's eyes. 

"Gato, fight us!" Crono said as he charged towards the protected machine king. Gato simply blasted him to the ground without an effort.

"Crono!" Marle said trying to go him but meeting a similar fate. Gato let out what sounded like a laugh and then looked around at his handy work.

"Fools, I warned you. Now you… huh?" Gato's attention was averted as Robo limped into the room.

"Ahh, Prometheus; you can be here to witness my triumph over the last of those who can defend the organics from me." Gato said as he charged his power for one final blast.

"No Gato, this time I do something I should have done a long time ago. I have served you and your murderous ambitions for too long. I may be just a robot, created by you; but dammit I have a soul! And now, with one final selfless act I shall make an attempt to redeem it. This time you fall! String Disrupter… FIRE!" Robo said as his gun barrel clicked once.

"ENERGY TRANSFER COMPLETE, FIRING" The voice in his head said as the energy ripped from his gunarm. The recoil tore his arm clean off and he fell over like an empty trash can in a storm. As the energy bolt struck the force field that protected Gato, Crono shook his head clear. He look over at the now depleted Robo and then back at the now defenseless Gato. He stood and heard Robo call out to him.

"Now… Crono, end this!" Robo struggled to say.

"NO, This isn't possible! I created you, how could you resist me!" Gato screamed as he saw his barrier shatter before him.

"Because, he may have been created by you; by he was his own person. This ends now Gato, you are in my way. You have plagued this time long enough. I shall put a stop to once and for ALL!" Crono screamed as his power grew. He felt an energy welling up in him that he had not felt in a long time. However, this time it was much greater, much more focused. He tossed his lance into the air as his hair changed back to the silver color the transformation had left him with. With a primal scream he leapt into the air an grabbed his lance. He flipped into a tuck and as he came out of it, the power that had been welling up came to fruition.

"Luminaire!" He called out as wave after wave of energy filled the room. This was not the same power as it had been though. This was something greater. Gone was the spark of lightning that had capped this attack before, now it was all light and energy. He felt the power of everyone who he called friend course through him as a giant ball of energy formed over his head. As he released his full power the energy flew at the now help Gato. It struck with an explosion of light, as Gato was ripped apart by the coursing waves of energy that now filled every part of the room. With one final burst, the entire lab, as well as Gato, were destroyed as the energy dissipated.

……………………………………………………………

"Umm…" Marle groaned as she still felt the pain from the blast she had receive course through her. She shook her head clear and nearly gasped at the sight she saw around her. The entire lab had been destroyed and Gato was nowhere to be found. Instead, in his place, was the very thing they had been searching for all this time. Before her a gate had formed which she was sure would lead them to forever. She tried to sit up and was gently pushed back down as she felt the pain rip through her head.

"Careful there, you still need some time." A voice said as she attempted to clear her eyes, which had been blurred from both pain and the sun. The group had been in that darkness for past three days and was going to take some time for her to adjust again.She know the touch that had place her down, she had felt it on her entire body. Sure enough, when her eyes cleared standing over her was the face of Crono. However, something was amiss.

"What did I tell you about your hair?" Marle asked as Crono helped her up this time. Crono, for his part, looked at his hair and realized that his power was still charged from his strike on Gato. He calmed himself and released his power as his color returned to its red and spiky self. 

"Sorry about. I guess it happens when I charge my power to full, just have to get used to it." Crono said let her go to stand on her own. She attempted to walk forward and promptly fell back into his waiting arms.

"I'll be alright." Marle told him propping herself up. They both walked over to their fallen friend. Robo lay before them, broken but victorious. 

"Hey Robo, how are you doing." Marle said kneeling close to him. As she placed her hand on his chest plate she quickly retracted it as the heat of the plate was too hot to handle.

"I apologize about that, my internal cooling system has been offline for awhile." Robo answered quietly.

"So, why didn't you tell us about this? You knew that this was going to happen from the very beginning of our trip towards Gato, in fact, you knew it ever since you found the info in that file. Why didn't you tell us about this? We could have done something to change this." Crono said taking a position across from Marle.

"Isn't there that you can do about this. I remember Lucca once telling me about something… what was that… Stasis Lock, I think." Marle asked in vain.

"No, my destiny was decided a long time ago, but the world's hasn't. Make a world, where children run freely without the worry of being destroyed by Lavos or anybody for that matter."

"We shall, for you and for everybody. Until next we meet my friend…" Crono said clasping the remaining hand on his friend, ignoring the searing heat. 

"The light is gone, the energy has been dispersed and I return to whence I came." Robo stated as his power ran out. His systems with no power to supply them shut down… he was gone. Marle stood from her position with a defiant look on her face.

"I shall no shed a tear… not until this is over and we are reunited with everybody we have lost on this journey. And when I do finally shed tears… they will be tears of joy."She said as Crono joined her.

"For a world where peace is the law, not the exception." He said joining her in her defiance.

"For a world where children can run free."

"For a world where we can live free of fear."

"For a world where we are all one."

"We shall fight the tide of darkness and shall stand victorious!" They said in unison as the gateway opened before them. They ran, hand in hand towards the path that would lead them to the greatest battle of their lives. They jumped through the horizon and the gateway disappeared behind them. As it did, images of Robo and Johnny appeared on the field where the lab once stood.

"We have both completed our part in the plan, the rest is up to them." Johnny stated looking over the debris.

"You and I both know that we are yet to see our duties ended, the paradox has yet to be undone." Robo retorted.

"Correction, it has yet to happen." Johnny returned.

"That's the whole point of a paradox, it has no beginning or end, it just is." 

"But it can be undone…"

"Yes, but they first must face the most difficult battle they have ever faced."

"Do they have a chance to defeat her?"

"Yes, but I hope the realize that there is one overlying truth in this whole thing." Robo said as he lowered his voice.

"What's that?" Johnny asked.

"That there is no greater power then… Love on the edge of Forever." With that, they both disappeared.

Author's Note: And thus the title is explained. Stay tuned; next chapter is the climactic battle to decide the destiny of the world. I know you are just glued to your seat. Until next our fates cross…


	17. And thus the curtain falls...

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

And thus the curtain falls….

Marle and Crono flew through the vortex as they had countless times before, however, what they saw this time was different. As they went, images of things that had passed flashed by them. They saw times throughout their journeys and also images of things that they had never seen before. They saw that it was them, but the times looked different.

"What do you suppose these are?" Marle asked, her hand still held firmly in Crono's

"I would venture to say images of things yet to come." Crono answered as they both looked on at the images that flashed by them next. The images before were of happy times, these however seemed to be of darker times and events.

"What are these? Distant future?" Marle asked again. Crono just looked at the images as they flew through the conduit. He wondered if the images were of a distant future or just a few years from when they were. Both he and Marle still look as young as they were now, but then he thought that could be something of the eternal bond that existed between them. He looked as shocking images flared across the conduit. He never thought that these events could occur but decided what these images were and why they were being shown them.

"These are images of the future, a future we must live through. See, there is our daughter… what we are seeing is what we must do. This is forever showing us these images to show us what we must do. No matter the cost." He said as he brought Marle closer to him.

"Are you sure… we are fighting so hard now to…"

"No, we mustn't think about it, we should just remember the gifts we have been given today and focus on the task at hand." Crono said interrupting her.

"Our battle." Marle returned.

"Yep." He answered. With that they both returned their focus on the gateway before them as the images went to the back of their minds. As they passed through the threshold of the conduit, the first thing they noticed is that it didn't close behind them. The second thing to catch their attention was that this place was filled with gates just like the one they had cross through. All seemed to show different times and events, some looked exactly alike other were extremely different. Marle then looked down and noticed that they were both floating in a world that seemed to have no end.

"Is this… forever?" She asked looking around at all of the events. One that caught her attention was one that looked very familiar. It looked almost like the day she first met Crono at the fair except for one thing… everyone was a reptite. After taking a closer look she realized… it WAS the first day that she and Crono had met.

"What is going on here?" She asked backing away from the disturbing image.

"This is Forever, the junction point of every universal possibility. Here we see the results of choices we didn't make. That is a choice that… thankfully never happened. Come take a look at this one." Crono said guiding her attention to an image of Marle sitting in the end of time trying to convince everyone of something. She noticed that Crono wasn't present.

"What do you suppose this is?" He asked.

"I guess it is what would have happened had I not gone after you on Death Mountain. But, I would never have been so heartless." She answered taking his hand.

"I know you wouldn't have, that is why I am alive today." Crono said looking around. Marle focused her sights on a very strange looking image.

"Forever is supposed to show us an image of choices that we didn't make, right?" She asked looking on perplexed. 

"Yeah."

"So what is this?" She said turning Crono's attention to the image she was viewing. It was an image of her and Crono walking around the end of time talking to some funny looking people. As they both calmed their minds they actually began to her what was being said. The words were strange, as well as the names. The scene shifted to the future where the both of them talked to a man that seemed to know something about what was going on.

"See you all next time in Chrono Trigger 2!" One of the men said.

"Huh?" Crono asked.

"What did he mean by Chrono Trigger 2? What is this?" Marle asked turning to Crono who just stood there dumbfounded.

"It is an image of a choice you will never get the chance to live." A harsh voice resounded throughout the infinity of the place. Both Marle and Crono snapped to attention as their date for the evening had finally arrived. However, when she appeared before them she was different. Gone was the silver purple that was always a color that was attributed with Schala. What stood, or rather floated before them, was a woman dressed in deep violet almost black robes, with hair matching the same color. Crono had seen this color once before… it was the same color that appeared in Marle's eyes when she had been turned evil. This was Tempest… but where was Schala. Almost as if on cue, Tempest made a small diamond appear in her hand. It was of pure energy and Crono could feel that this diamond of energy held the very essence of Schala inside.

"What have you done to her?" Crono asked as the blades of lance flared.

"I had no more use for this corporeal form now that I have reached my target. It is time to return her from whence I borrowed her from." With this, Tempest waved her hand and a black portal opened. Crono and Marle looked on helplessly as the diamond was tossed to a creature that they could feel was filled with unspeakable evil… however, there was something very familiar about the power.

"What was that?" Marle asked.

"That, was a creature known as the Time Devourer. It has yet to be created, but I believe you knew it as Lavos." Tempest said with a chuckle.

"Your evil will be undone here. We shall everything you have made wrong." Crono said approaching.

"Oh please, do you honestly think that I am solely to blame for this? Do you think that you are absolved of responsibility?" Tempest said as she inspected some of the portals.

"What do you mean?" Crono asked.

"Your inventor friend creates a gateway through time and you begin to change events that didn't even concern you. You changed a past that had already happened and a future that was meant to happen. You began tinkering with the fabric of time and attempting to change something that only her mind could understand. Miss Ashtear really is quite something, isn't she? It is too bad that I shall soon erase the damage you have caused by whipping you from existence… just as I did your little blue haired friend… what was his name." Tempest said taking up a false thinking position. 

"Magus?" Crono asked taken aback.

"Ah yes, Magus; that girl's dear brother. He was so easily manipulated by her it was almost funny. But then one day he got smart and as you well know, a smart minion is a useless one. So, I destroyed him. Of course, I removed his soul and sent the evil shadow that was inside to do my bidding… for all the good that did." Tempest said shaking her head.

"So Magus…."

"Magus wasn't evil afterall, in fact he tried to stop you." Crono interrupted her.

"Oh yes, that spoiled little brat decided he would take it upon himself to spoil my fun. It almost worked too. He blocked my conciseness away in that miserable girl. The last though she had was of you saving her sir Crono. So when we first met, I was obsessed with you. Luckily, your prism energy broke the shadow hold over my mind and I was freed once more. Not before having to endure being almost put away forever. Luckily again you didn't take the only opportunity you had to destroy me. Too bad, now you shall die." Tempest said looking down on the both of them. Crono couldn't believe what he had just been told. All this time he had hated Magus for what he had done, when once again it was the evil of Tempest that was behind it all along. He knew also that Schala was gone forever… or at least put out of their reach. He wondered what would have happened had he done what he should of done and destroyed her all that time ago. Then he remembered what was shown to him during his trip through the conduit. He realized that everything that had happened to him over the time was meant to happen. All loss that they had to endure and all the fighting that they both had done was all meant to make them strong enough for this final battle. It was now that they would prove if the power of people hearts truly does shape their future or if it merely left to destiny like Tempest wanted them to believe.

"No Tempest, it is you who shall fall. We fight for the future we believe in because we know in our hearts that we can see it happen. As long as we believe in ourselves." Crono said as he lunged towards her. Tempest merely grabbed the Twinlance and blasted Crono away. When Crono recovered he realized that he was still holding onto the lower half of the Twinlance, which had since reverted to his crystal saber. Tempest studied the part of the weapon she held as it reverted back to the Masamune. 

"Blasted sword, you have other duties to attend to in the time stream. Right now you belong in the hand of a man who will kill his best friend over nothing more then simple jealousy… or at least the jealousy you shall bring out in him.. Now, fill with the evil you were meant to have." Tempest said as Crono felt the spirits of Masa and Mune cry out in pain as they were washed away by the evil force the seeped into the blade. What was left was a blood red hellish thing that didn't even look like the honor blade Masamune. With her spell complete, Tempest lunged the blade into another gate and it disappeared.

"Let it be known from this time forth that the masamune is a cursed blade until the hands of one that has known both good and evil shall touch its spirit once more." Crono said taking the Crystal Saber in his hand and getting to his feet.He didn't know what he meant by saying this, but he knew it was what had to be said. Marle just looked at him and then back at Tempest who floated over them uncaring as ever. The fire returned to Crono's eyes, he knew what he had come here to do. He cast a look over at Marle who was just waiting for him to give word. The both lunged forward, however, they were beaten away with mere a wave of Tempest's hand.

"Oh, so now this battle begins I see. Very well, I shall make you deaths quick and painful." Tempest said launching energy bolts at the both of them.

"If you want to kill us you are going to have to better then that!" Crono said dodging the blow. He launched a crystal cross at her as his power built. She batted away the powerful attack and returned one of her own. 

"Destiny's Wrath!" She called the power to her hands as a giant column of energy hit Crono square in the chest. He was thrown back as Marle summoned activate her bow. 

"Avalanche!" She called out combining her ice powers with the bolts from her crossbow. Icicles ripped towards Tempest but were deflected by a shield that seemed to protect her.

"Fools, I am in the center of my power. Did you honestly think that you had a chance to defeat me?" Tempest said with a chuckle as Crono flipped to his feet. He cast a look at an already preparing Marle. She knew what he had in mind and knew just what it would take. He himself charged his own power as his hair changed back to sliver color of his transformed state. Tempest felt their energy increasing a stood dumbfounded as it reached its fruition. 

"Northern Cross!" They said in unison as they released their power. Marle Ice power coupled with Crono's blade as it had done with their old Ice Sword attack, however this was going to something a little more then that. With his blade charged Crono performed his Crystal Cross tech, which became a massive blizzard of icicles and snow that tore through Tempest as if she were tinfoil. She was tossed back and came down hard on the suedo-ground of the expanse. She got up slowly and both could see the rage in her eyes, as she appeared to slowly recover. They both looked at each other and began to realize the full extents of her power.

"FOOLS! That hurt, how dare you harm me!" She said as her entire body filled with energy. They could both feel all of the negative forces in the expanse be drawn to the point that she held.

"Now, face my wrath." She screamed as the energy she had been gather exploded into every direction filling the expanse. Crono and Marle just dropped to their knees as the power overtook them. When the energy had cleared both were on their knees looking up at a fully recovered Tempest.

"Now you see how truly futile your insignificant attempt at defeating me was? Now you both shall fall and I shall have what I always desired… the destruction of the universes." Tempest said with a laugh.

"Why… would you desire… such a horrible thing?" Marle asked as she felt her strength being drained from her.

"Simple my dear princess. In your universe I cannot exist without a host, much like that insipid Schala. If there were no universes, I could roam freely and enslave as many as I want. I would be a goddess again, all would worship me." Tempest said glaring at her.

"That's absurd… if there were no universe there would be no one to worship anything." Crono said pulling himself to where Marle was lying. 

"I suppose you're right. Oh well, at least I live. Which is more then I can say for the two of you. Now you are virtually immortal with that connection you created before. So to destroy you, I must kill you both at the same time." She said she began to charge her attack. Crono looked deep into Marle's tired but beautiful eyes and saw both fear and love in them. He still remembered how her eyes looked when he brought her back from evil. However, this was how he wanted to remember her, the light in her eyes. She looked at him just as deeply and saw the light and the determination that was always there. This why she loved him and why she would love him no matter what happened to them. Crono just looked back and then remembered what they were fighting for. He placed his hand on her stomach, though it had only been a few weeks since she was conceived, Aurora was already causing a slight rounding in Marle's normally fit stomach. Marle looked down and then returned her gaze to his eyes.

"We can't lose here… we have to fight… for her." She said as the tears filled her eyes. Crono thought about what she had said to them what seemed like ages ago.

"You souls are now one; each will feel the pain as well as the joy of the other. Should one of you fall in battle so will the other. However, as long as you both protect each other; you shall never feel the sting of time. We shall meet again…" This is what she said, but to this day he didn't know what she meant. Now he did.

"That's it. We are one… let us bring it together. We can't fight her because we are fighting separately. Our power combined is what her hurt before. Together we can defeat her." Crono said taking hold of Marle. He picked her up and jumped as Tempest's attack bore down upon them.

"Won't you two just sit still and die and like good little children?" Tempest asked recoiling. Marle thought about what he had said and knew what he spoke was the truth. 

"Are you ready to that though? We don't know if we have the strength to do so." She asked.

"We give each other the strength, our love is our strength." He reassured her and once again she knew what she had said was true and just needed to hear him say it as she began to summon her power. Crono followed as Tempest released the power she had been collecting in favor of watching what they were doing.

"What is this power I am feeling… I don't recognize it." She stated as energy wells lifted Crono and Marle into the air.

"Our hearts as one…" Crono began

"Our souls as one…"

"May the love between us…"

"Now be released…"

"As the powers of our combined body…"

"Be unleashed…"

"Angel's hear our plea, make us one and set our true powers free!" They said in unison as they came together in a kiss that had a larger explosive power then the negative power that had set the place ablaze before. When the light cleared, Tempest could only stare in horror at what stood before her. Gone were the forms of Marle and Crono, what stood before her was a new, more powerful being. It was clad in gold and blue armor from head to toe and the sword it carried was a much larger form of the Prism Saber the Crono had carried. She knew that prism was still the one thing that she was weak too, it was the power the trapped her in the first place. The being stood and took the sword in hand and began to speak.

"Now this ends, your powers were sealed before and you still caused this. Now you shall be destroy and powers shall do no more harm to any of us." The voice of the being sound like both Crono and Marle speaking in unison, as that was exactly what it was.

"No, this is impossible!" Tempest screamed as she launched everything she had at the being to no avail. She summoned the powers of the expanse and formed them into a blade.

"Now you face my blade creature. Let's see how powerful you really are." She stated as she lunged at the being. It lifted it's sword and then began a fencing match to end all fencing matches. However, it seemed that Tempest was truly no match for the combined skill of Marle and Crono as the being the slashed the blade from Tempest's hands. Tempest feel from her floated and landed on her knees below the being. 

"How can you be this powerful? I must know." She asked.

"Because there is no greater power then love. No evil force could ever understand that." The being said as it charged it's power for one final move.

"I shall admit defeat, but you have not won either. Oh yes, you have averted on possible future by coming here; but the paradox that you created still exists and soon even you shall to fall to its effects. No matter how many times you destroy evil, you will never get past the fact that you did the most damage of all. Hum, who, who, ho, ho, hahahahahahaha." She laughed as the being's blade came down on her head and silenced her forever. She exploded in a flash of light that once again filled the place. When it cleared, Crono and Marle were themselves again. Marle shook the pain from her head as she pulled herself over to where to Crono was in the process of coming too. She took him in her arms and he shook his head and picked both of them up to their feet. 

"Is it over?" She asked as she stood in his arms this time. Crono looked back at the gateway they had come from and watched it go black and shut tight… they had averted yet another disastrous future. But he knew the answer, despite having succeeded in the mission they had set out to do.

"For now, but it shall never truly be over. Come, it is a time for celebration as soon we shall have our friends returned to us." He said as he kissed her forehead. She knew he spoke the truth and tears started flowing down her eyes. They both knew that she had done exactly what she had said she was going to do. She kept her tears back until they had become tears of joy. As Crono looked up he saw that a gateway had opened up before them.

"Come on, let's go home. There are a lot of people waiting for us." She said as she took his hand. With a nod, they both ran towards the gate. As the reach it, he stopped and pulled her back. She looked at him with a stupefied look on her face. She noticed though, that he seemed to be looking around at or for something.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"This place, if anyone was to stumble upon it again… the damage could irreversible." He said as he charged his power once more.

"What are you going to do?" She asked him again.

"I will seal this gateway and any others leading here, permanently. Come on, let's go." He said as he led her through the gate. As he did he released the power he had been hold as the gate collapsed behind him. No more, would anyone have access to Forever. 

…………………………………………………………………….

The gate closed and flashed behind them, it was gone… in fact, there would be no more gates from then on, Crono had seen to that. Marle noticed that gate had led to the castle, however; it was strangely quite. She ran towards the throne room expecting to see her father. However, the chancellor sat on the stair that led to an empty throne. He looked up and an expression of light returned to his face. 

"Welcome home prin… er queen Nad… er Marle." The chancellor said greeting her. This caught at a loss.

"What do you mean queen, where is my father?" She asked.

"Died of sickness a little over a year ago." He answered her.

"WHAT!" She screamed as the tears filled her eyes.

"How much time has passed since we left the millennial fair?" Crono asked.

"A little under four years milord. It is 1004." He answered him as Crono and Marle both sat down on the ground. Marle's tear had now switched back to those of sorrow learning of the passing of her father.

"Four year… I cannot believe it." Crono stated.

"I couldn't believe it either, but everything holds. Four years have passed." A voice came from behind them as they both turned to see a much more mature looking Lucca standing in the doorway of the throne room. 

"Lucca."

"Your alive!" Marle said as her tears stopped. They both got up and ran over to her. They all joined in a giant group hug. And talked for a few minutes about what Lucca had found about. She had returned a few days before they did and found out about what had been happening. The death of Marle's father, the separation of Porre from the Guardia Confederation and the subsequent beginnings of militerization. So many things they had missed, so many things to both worry about and celebrate. It was an up and down few minutes before a bright flash blinded everyone in the room. When the light had cleared, Robo stood in the in the center of the room… complete once more.

"Robo!" Lucca was the first to run to him. Marle and Crono stayed where they were and allowed the two of them to speak with each other. They knew that they would both have a lot to talk about.

"Lucca… I." Robo said as she jumped into his arms. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. He remembered everything that had happened and wondered why by the grace of the gods, he was allowed to live. What he didn't realize was that she remembered everything as well.

"Robo… I missed you so much. Can you ever forgive me for what I have done to you?" She asked as tears filled her eyes. It was unusual to see this from her, she was normally so in control of herself. 

"What do you mean… you have done good things. Why would you say such a thing?" He asked surprised.

"Can you forgive a foolish girl for not noticing the love that was building in her heart?" She asked as she looked through her tears into his eyes. If he could cry he would, however that was one human trait he still didn't have the ability to do. However, there was something that he had wanted to do for so long that he finally could do. He leaned over and kissed her, deeply, for a few moments. When they finally broke the embrace, Lucca stood there stunned.

"Thank you." She said placing her head on his chestplate.

"Welcome home my friend." Crono said joining them.

"My home is in the future, but for now… I am happy where I am."

"Robo, please stay with us here." Lucca asked looking up at him.

"He doesn't have a choice. The Epoch is destroyed and there are no more gates; Crono saw to that." Marle said taking her place beside him.

"Then I guess, I should get used to this place." Another voice came from above them. This voice was foreign to them all. Then as they all looked around for the voice, a man dropped from the ceiling and stood before them. He was tall and built, his armor carried the royal crest of Guarida and the sword he carried looked very familiar. But the strangest thing about the man was his green hair. 

"Who are you sir and what are you doing in this castle?" Crono asked placing his hand on the hilt of the crystal saber. The man just looked at him and laughed.

"Yes, I guess you don't know who I am, at least not in this form. Let me see if I can get this right… tis good to return to this place. I hope the my guise shall not incure thy wrath milord Crono." The man said as the whole group looked on.

"Fr… Frog?" Crono asked.

"Close enough, the name is Glenn actually." Glenn retunred. Crono walked over and clasped wrists with his restored friend.

"But how?" He asked.

"Simple enough, Magus's death returned me to this form; as it was always meant to." Glenn answer returning Crono's hand. They all went silent for a few moments upon this report. Though he was their enemy to start with, he became a strong and dependable ally. It was hard to know that he was gone forever.

"Why everyone quite, now time for party." A very familiar voice spouted out. They all turned their attention towards the throne where Ayla was casually perched atop the throne.

"Young lady, get down from there this instant." The chancellor stated as he tried to get her off of the throne.

"Crono, who this? Man have long hair on face, longer then on Ayla head." She said looking at him. The rest of the group exploded in laugher as the chancellor got redder and redder. Crono and Marle looked at each other and then down at Marle's stomach. The roundness was now getting more pronounce and would only be a matter of time before they would have a new daughter. They knew they had accomplished these tasks only because they believed in the love they shared on the edge of Forever.

Author's Note: Well that's it for the main part of the story. Next update, the epilogue. It will give a few more details on what's next for this story so stayed tuned.


	18. Epilouge

Epilogue

Epilogue

Crono walked up the stairs to where the king's… his room lie. That was still something he was going to have to get used to. He knew that he should be overjoyed that this day had finally come. It was his wedding day, he had all of his friends back and he was going to be married to the love of his life in a mere couple of hours, but still something troubled him. It had been a few weeks since he and Marle had returned from Forever. They had won the battle but at what cost? He knew of the future that lay in store for all of them. Magus and Schala were both gone, but then he also knew what had happened to them. 

"Many people in our time wish to know the future… I do and wish I didn't." He said to himself as he got to the top of their stairs. His mother was there waiting for him and noticed that her son wasn't as chipper as he should have been. 

"What is wrong Crono? This should be the happiest day of your life. You are getting married, you save all time yet again, you have a beautiful daughter on the way… what is troubling you?" She asked him as he sat down in the parlor that led to his room.

"Many things mother, many things that I cannot avoid." He said distantly.

"You have saved our world twice… there is nothing that you cannot fight." His mother returned.

"I cannot fight Destiny itself. I know of what is to come… and of what I must do. And there is nothing I can do to alter it." He said letting his forehead rest on his hands. He knew he was confusing his mother and that she was doing her best to encourage him but there was still this nagging feeling. He looked out his window at the light that had filled the afternoon. He thought about his own comments back when he and Marle were in transit to Forever…

"…These are images of the future, a future we must live through. See, there is our daughter… what we are seeing is what we must do. This is forever showing us these images to show us what we must do. No matter the cost."

He remembered his words and thought about them deeper. He knew that there was no way to change what destiny had in store for him, but he also remembered the images of happy time with his family that he had seen. He shook the concerns from his mind and looked at his mother who was standing there looking at him.

"But you know, it doesn't matter now. That is thoughts that will come to in the future. Now is the time for the present and I have a wedding to prepare for." He said as his mother smiled with glee. She knew what troubled him had to be something major but was glad to hear that he had put it behind him. She had spent months preparing his armor for this day. She knew that it was coming from the time she had been rescued. She knew that he loved Marle deeply and could see in her eyes that she returned the feeling. She handed him the dress armor that she had the armorer build, after she designed it of course. He walked behind the changing screen as he and his mother discuss minor issues. He emerged from the screen was deck out in the best suit she had ever seen. He stood covered in blue from head to toe. The armor was very dressy, being blue and ornate. It wasn't like normal battle armor; it was intricately designed, with the emblem of Guardia emblazoned across the front plate. The cape was the only thing that wasn't blue; it was modest silver color with the crest of the House of Cordarien, his family's crest.

"What is this?" Crono asked looking at the crest.

"That was your father's coat of arms. He was descended from Royalty around the third century. The Barony of Cordarien." His mother responded.

"You never told me about that." He said looking back at her.

"I never found a reason to, how was I supposed to know that you would be marrying into royalty and would need the background." She said with a chuckle. 

"Thanks for the thought mom, but I don't really think it matters." Crono said join her in her chuckle as a knock came to the door. Crono just looked at the door and his mother walked over to see whom it was. Robo stood in the doorway and looked over to Crono who stood ready to for the impending nuptials.

"Very nice, however there is still part of the ceremony which has not been prepared for. You still do not have a courtier!" Robo said in a rather frustrated tone. He and Lucca had spent the past month preparing this ceremony and Crono was not allowing them to complete it. With the wedding just a few hours away, Crono was still missing a Groom's man, not to mention a best man. Crono knew this fact, but had no conclusions to give. He had asked Robo but he was too busy preparing the ceremony anyway. He was going to ask Glenn, but as usual, he was off somewhere. He just didn't have anyone to put in the position. Marle decision was easy, the only woman ever to treat her like a person. Lucca was ecstatic that she got the job, even though she knew it was a sure thing to begin with. He stood and there and shook his head. Robo was about to scold him again when something tripped his sensors.

"Huh? Power build, source unknown, Location… right here!" Robo stated as Crono brought his hand to his the hilt of his blade. Crono's mother meanwhile, ran from the room screaming that she was gonna be sucked away again. Crono lowered his focus just a bit to see her do this and would have laugh had a column of light formed in front of him. He looked at the floor where the column had originated. There on the floor was a oddly familiar looking crest. The form of a man emerged from the crest as the energy began to dissipate. When the smoke had cleared Crono nearly fell down when he saw who had emerged from the energy well.

"K… Kain! Is that you?" Robo asked almost as dumbfounded as Crono.

"No, it's your mother. Of course it's me you bucket of bolts." Kain said extending his wrist to his former comrade in arms. Robo returned the gesture and they came together talking about old times. Crono meanwhile had regain his composer and was ready to greet to him.

"Kain, how did you get back here!? I sealed the gates when I left Forever." Crono said taking the wrist of his friend.

"Let's just say that when you have a white mage, a black mage slash summoner, a paladin, and a couple of moon dwelling aliens as friends… you tend to find ways around magical barriers. The problem is this is only for a short time. The barrier you put up was very powerful and the force that is keeping me here will die away in twelve hours." Kain said returning Crono's wrist.

"Well then, twelve hours shall be more then enough for my wedding. It looks like you came prepared." Crono said noticing the fact the Kain himself was decked out in dress armor just he was.

"Well, I thought that I might as well look decent, Afterall, I am diplomatic liaison from my kingdom to yours." Kain said with a chuckle and a shake of the head. Crono simply laughed and then remembered what all the fuss had been about before Kain arrived.

"Well, as long as you look the part, you might as well play it. How about being my best man?" Crono asked.

"Ahh, why not. I got nothing else better to do for the next twelve hours." Kain said as his chuckle broke out into full-blown laughter.

"Right.I'm sure that it will be tough to put into your schedule. Right in between hustling the local tavern maidens and getting yourself piss drunk." Crono retorted.

"Awe come on, you have to give me a little more credit then that… I could do that at home. I'd rather bother you for a while. However there is one maiden I would like to know a little bit more about though." He said looking around as if to see if anyone was watching them.

"Oh, and this maiden would happen to have bottle blond hair and be from the prehistoric times would she?" Crono asked with a devilish smile.

"Huh? Hey, how did you know that?" Kain asked genuinely surprised.

"She can't stop talking about you. She keeps comparing you to this guy in her tribe, saying how much better you are then he is." Crono said leaning against the wall behind him.

"YOU MEAN YOU'VE TALKED HER!" Kain screamed. Crono and Robo just kinda looked at him.

"Uh, calm down. She's here. I closed off the gates remember. When all of our friends were returned to us she got sent here instead of back to her own time. In fact, Lucca has been spending the last couple of weeks 'improving' her for our time. You almost wouldn't recognize her now." Crono said as he could almost see the drool on Kain's lips. Crono merely smiled as Robo remembered what had been going on.

"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt, but now that we have a best man… can we please get to the wedding that Lucca and I have been planning for a month!" Robo said back into his frustrated tone.

"Oh, you are just in hurry because you want to see Lucca in that dress she bought." Crono said with another devilish smile.

"Yes… wha… what… no! That is not it at all." If Robo could blush he would be redder then an apple. He turned around and disappeared down the hallway. Crono and Kain just shook their heads and laughed. Kain smiled at the fact that his metal friend had obviously gotten over his loss. He hoped that soon, so would he. Crono looked over at his friend and wondered what was going on in his head. He decided to forget about and continue to tell him of what had happened since he left.

……………………………………………………………….

A few hours past like a few minutes and it was time for the both of them to head to throne room. 

"Time flies when your having fun… the time has come for you to marry this girl." Kain said as both he and Crono stood.

"Yep, and soon our lives will begin again… as they were meant to." Crono stated taking a deep breath.

"Oh come on, don't tell me your getting cold feet." Kain said worried.

"Nope, wouldn't miss this for the world." He responded and Kain's poise became much lighter. They both walked down the stairwell towards the throne room when they came upon a note. Crono picked it up and saw that it was addressed to him from his mother. It red…

"My Son

Crono, I know that you will make a great King. This is what your father would have wanted. So many times he braved the unknown and came back with stories to you about his great adventures. I always scolded him about that, that one day he would get hurt or worse on these adventures; but it was his way. At least it was until my words became true. I cried for days when Taban told me the news. You however, seemed to stay strong despite what happened. You were only eight then and I just pawned it off as not understand, but now I know that wasn't the case. You didn't cry, you stayed strong then because you knew you had to… for me. I know you shall show the same dedication to Marle and the kingdom, but I don't think the title of Queen Mother is exactly for me. I am going to visit you father's grave… it will be the first time since he was buried that I have returned there. I don't know when or if I will be coming back but know this… I am proud of you. You stay strong for me all these years and now I will go and allow you to be strong for your people. I also know that wherever he is you father is proud of you as well. Well, you are probably on your way now so I won't keep you any longer. Goodbye, my son… my liege.

Love

Seleanna Cordarien

Your Mother."

"Thanks Mom." Crono said as he put letter in the pack that was at his side. He continued his way down the stairs.

"Cordarien… Crono Cordarien, has a nice ring to it." Kain said as he followed him.

"What would you know?" Crono asked with a laughed.

"Well let's see, we have a Guardia, a Cordarien, an Ashtear… you people have strange names." Kain said busting out in laugher.

"What about you Mr. Highwind? Highwind, that's a weather event not a name." Crono said joining him in laughter.

"Hey now, I'll have you know that I come from a very good line." Kain said slapping him on the shoulder.

"Of what, circus monkeys?" Crono said as they both stood in a mock fight. They both let out a set of guffaws and continued on their way into the throne room. There they were met by Lucca and Robo finish up the final little details… well, Lucca finishing them and Robo just kind of gawking at her. She was pretty in her purplish silver dress. She had her hair down and had invented some more stylish glasses that framed her appealing face well. Crono just smiled and shook his head when he saw a certain someone approach them. She stood there in a royal blue gown that matched the color of her eyes perfectly. Her blond hair was back and held together by a platinum comb. She glowed as she walked across the floor. He head was bent down slightly and her walk, while still on cat's paws, was done elegantly. 

"Good… day… milord." She said slowly trying to keep her words together. She looked up at him and their eyes locked. Kain could have just melted into the see that was her beautiful eyes.

"Wow." Was all that Kain could say as his mouth had fallen to floor.

"How do you like the new Ayla? Not bad for five weeks of work, if I do say so myself." Lucca said walking over to him with Robo in tow.

"The most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life." Kain said taking her hand and kissing it.

"Thank you." She said blushing.

"The two of need some help. Gawking over them like you have never seen a beautiful woman before. It is very ungentlemanly." Crono said with a laugh, however he was about to eat his words when the Chancellor walked in as an escort to Marle. He turned to look at the new arrivals and froze. There she stood, her dress, the same emerald green as her eyes. Her hair was still down and it flowed all the way down her back. The dress was a little larger around her stomach as Aurora's presences was now known to anyone she met; however this only enhanced her natural beauty. She opened her eyes and they just seemed to sparkle with the light of the setting sun. Lucca looked over the three men in the room and just stood triumphantly.

"Well, I think we accomplished our mission ladies. We have these boys totally stunned." Lucca stated.

"Most definitely." Marle said as Crono let out breath upon hearing the music that was her voice.

"Very… much so." Ayla agreed. Crono shook his head long enough to restore blood and oxygen flow as his senses returned. Robo and Kain weren't too far behind as the people started flowing in from outside. Marle and Crono had want this to be a public event such as any Royal wedding should be. Marle took Crono's hand as they walked over to the Bridegroom.Kain and Lucca took their position as Ayla and Robo stood beside them respectively. The chancellor stood ready to perform his duties, as did the priest from the Shrine of Fiona. The priest began with his normal words before Crono and Marle said the vows that they had prepared for each other.

"Do you Nad…" The priest stopped when the Chancellor cleared his throat to remind him of a fact that he had forgotten.

"Oh, right. As I was saying… Do you Marle, Queen of Guardia; take Crono, Baron of Cordarien, as your wedded husband?" The priest said correcting himself.

"I do. No matter the problems we face. I shall stand by him through anything. My love for him will know no boundaries. It will cut through any adversary even death itself. Our love shall be eternal, even when our time comes… I shall continue to love him." Marle answered

"Do you Crono, Baron of Cordarien; take Marle, Queen of Guardia, as your wedded wife?" The priest continued.

"I do. And thus the cycle of destiny is complete once more. Our love was forged over time and dimension itself. Our hearts shall be one here now and forever, never to be broken by any force. Our love shall bond us beyond eternity and we shall be together forever." Crono returned.

"Does any one have any reason why these two should not be join, say it now or forever hold your peace." The priest asked.

"Well, now that you…" Kain started to say something but was quickly muffled by the gloved hand of his attendant.

"Dragoon man not speak now." Ayla said quietly to him showing that despite all the programming Lucca had done, she was still herself. He couldn't help but laugh.

"Well then… by the power vested in me by… well… you; I now declare you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest said as Crono and Marle came together in the most passionate kiss ever recorded. They had fought, witnessed the death and rebirth of their friends and saved humanity's past, present and future once again for this very moment. When their embrace broke the room exploded into cheers as the entire population, included some representatives from the now militaristic Porre, celebrated the union of a new king and queen. However, the ceremony wasn't done yet and Crono and Marle both knew it. Marle took her crown from the pillow that was lying beside the new queen's throne and placed it on her head.. It carried the royal Guardian Crest and was adorned with a piece of national treasure the rainbow shell. She walked up the steps that led to the thrones and stood before him.

"Kneel, lord Crono Cordarien." She said as he did what he was told. The chancellor handed her another crown, this one fit for a king.

"This family has a long tradition of kings the personify honor, valor, compassion, and courage. It is these skills that have kept Guardia prosperous and its people happy. Only with these skills can one truly be an effective ruler. Before I met this man who kneels before me, I did not understand this simple truth. But because of the actions he took, because of the sacrifices he made, I know understand what is required to be a good queen for my people. And its because of these traits that you have shown me and all of us that I place this crown on your head and us in your care and bid you rise, Crono; Thirty-fourth king Guardia." She finished as he stood and Lucca and Robo replaced his cape with the king's cape that bore the royal Guardian Crest. He stepped up and took his place beside her as the entire crowd screamed their approval. Marle, not forgetting that it was her wedding day, picked up the bouquet of flowers that she had set aside as hundreds of women crowded to the front. She saw this and giggled and was almost saddened that she had already picked out her target. She tossed the bouquet and it hit its mark, landing in Ayla's hands. Both Kain and Ayla smiled and blushed and the entire procession laughed. The next two hours were filled with the normal greetings of the people and the clean up that Robo and Lucca had prepared for. When all was said and done and the people were sent to the celebration at Nadia Square, the group stood in the throne room looking out the windows at the moon. Kain stood looking out and realized something grave.

"My time is nearly up. I have to go. It's been fun everybody. At least this has prepared me for the wedding I have to go to when I get back." He said quietly.

"Oh, who's wedding is that?" Marle asked.

"Oh just the wedding of a stubborn Summoner and chauvinistic Prince, it should be fun."

"Sounds it, until our fates cross again; my friend." Crono stated taking his wrist into his own. Ayla in the meantime was not so joyous about the whole thing. 

"What… will… I… ever see you…. again?" Ayla asked trying to control both her word and her tears.

"I am afraid not. This was a one-time trip. The crystals don't have enough power to do it again. I am sorry; I wish I could have spent more time with you. I… love you." Kain said surprising even himself.

"Then stay… here. There is… plenty of… room." Ayla said continuing to struggle with her words and her tears.

"I wish I could but I bonded to my world, there is no way I can avoid being pulled back." He said as the energy built up around him. Ayla stood there as tears streamed down her face.

"This isn't Ayla, Ayla no lose." She thought to herself.

"Twelve hours wasn't all the time they could spare… I wish there was something more I could do." Kain said as the energy continued to flow around him. Ayla looked back at all of her friends, she had an idea but wasn't about to do without their approval. They all shook their heads, knowing that she had nothing there for her. With her friends approval she jumped across the boundary and into Kain's waiting arms.

"Then Ayla go with Dragoonman, Ayla no lose." She said he held her in his arms.

"You take good care of yourselves." Robo called to them.

"Ayla, remember my lessons." Lucca reminded her.

"Goodbye Ayla, I hope you both have a happy life!" Marle said tears in her eyes.

"You got what you came here for, you proved yourself worthy again. Always remember that." Crono said remembering the story that Kain had told him of why he was on the mountain that fated day in the first place. 

"And I have you to thank for it. Just as the lady said, Honor, Valor, Compassion and Courage. You take care of her, she is wise beyond her years." Kain stated as the energy well formed around them. He turned his attention to the woman that was in his arms. She looked up at him with the same sparkle in her eyes that he had seen so long ago and knew what they were doing was right.

"Are you ready for this? This power wasn't meant for two people, I don't know where it will take us." He stated looking down at her.

"That ok, Ayla no lose, Ayla happy she get to be with Dragoonman." She said as she jumped and kissed him. As their lips came together the power came to fruition and they were transported away. 

"Wherever they are, I know that they are happy." Marle stated as the tears ran down her cheeks. Crono wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Of course they are. They wouldn't want us to be stand around here thinking of them when there is a party in our honor going on." Crono said as Marle expression change to a happy.

"Yes, and besides, I have been wanting to try out this new digestive system that Lucca installed." Robo agreed with him.

"You installed a digestive system?" Marle asked her.

"Among… other things." Lucca said with a devilish smile of her own as Crono burst out into laughter. Marle just kinda stood there and looked at her as she winked at Robo. It finally dawned on her what these 'other things' were.

"You didn't." She stated.

"Hey, I thought if I was going to give him a digestive system, I should install something that could give me a… little something back for my work; if you know what I mean." She said with a giggle. Crono at this point was nearly rolling on the floor laughing until Marle jabbed him in the ribs. He stopped for a second and then they all broke out into laugher as they all headed down to the party in the square.

………………………………………………………………………..

A few months had passed and Lucca and Robo were taking some time off. They both were busy working at the castle bringing th technology up to snuff. But today they both decided that they needed a little break. They were walking through Fiona's forest, which was surprising, because Lucca thought after working for three hundred and fifty years that Robo wouldn't want to be anywhere near this place. But he always seemed to enjoy it as much as she did. They would have asked Crono and Marle to join them, but they had their hands full with the now two-month-old Aurora. She was a beautiful girl as they had all expected. She had her father's red hair, but her mother's green eyes and you could a little bit of both of them in her face. Lucca was thinking about her when she heard something. She thought that the sound was just in her imagination; after all she was daydreaming about a baby. However, Robo looked up heard the same thing.

"Do you hear that?" He asked her snapping her back to reality, a place where she spent so little time now a days.

"Huh?" Lucca said before hearing the cry again. They both looked at each other and ran towards the sound. When they got to where they were going they found a most unexpected bundle. There beneath a tree in the short grass that was around it, laid a baby girl. She was wrapped in a blanket of pure white samite. She had a little blond hair and wore a pendent that looked a lot like Marle's and the one that Schala once had.

"We can't just leave her here." Lucca stated looking at Robo.

"What would have us do, start an orphanage?" Robo said with a chuckle that he soon retracted when he saw the glimmer of thought in her eyes.

"No."

"Why not, we can just add on to the house and do our work for the castle from there. I am sure Crono and Marle Wouldn't mind." She stated picking the little girl up.

"I could never say no to you." Robo stated giving in.

"Of course not, that's why you have to recharge every morning." Lucca returned with a devilish smile.

"Hey now, we are in the presences of an infant here. So what are we gonna call this kid anyway?" He asked seeing that glimmer of thought in her eyes again.

"Now what?"

"That's perfect." She stated happily.

"What is?"

"Kid. I don't think I could have come up with a better name."

"But, but… I don't understand you sometimes." Robo said giving up.

"But that's why you love me." Lucca said kissing him.

"Yeah, that's why I love you." Robo said with a laugh.

"Come on, let's go show Crono and Marle." Lucca said running off with Kid like she was a prize that she had just won at a fair.

"Sure, why not. I am sure that want another infant in the castle. I am sure the den maidens are gonna love us for this one." Robo said running after her. It took them about an hour and forty-five minutes to get back to the castle from where they were on foot but they arrived at the doors just into to see them close behind someone. 

"I wonder who else has arrived?" Lucca said as she went to open the doors.

"Probably that guy from Porre waving his guns around again." Robo said following her in. When they got inside they were greeted by another unusual sight. Before them stood the green haired warrior Glenn, who had disappeared about six months ago.

"Greetings Glenn, what brings you here?" Lucca asked him.

"Miss Lucca, Robo,' he said without turning, 'I wanted to believe that I was just here to pay my respects to the new princess, but if that were the case; I would've been here for the wedding. To tell you the truth I have no idea what drew me here today… but I have a feeling it is going to revolve around that kid in your hands there." He said as they continued on to the throne room. Lucca for her part just looked at him dumbfounded, how did he know she was carrying a child. He hadn't looked at her and Kid hadn't made a sound.As they entered the throne room Crono stood to greet them all.

"Good day to you all. Lucca and Robo I might have expected but what do we owe the honor of your presences Lord Glenn?" Crono asked regarding him.

"To tell you the truth my liege, I am not sure. However, Lucca may have somewhat of an answer. Who is this child you hold?" Glenn stated finally turning to her. Marle, who had been rocking Aurora in her arms, lit up even more when she saw the child that Lucca had with her.

"Well, Robo and I found her while walking the woods to the south. Other then that, I have no other answers." Lucca said surprise by Glenn's stance.

"Well, what are you going to do with her?" Marle stated handing Aurora to Crono. Their daughter barely made a sound as she was passed from mother to father, she knew that she was safe in either set of arm. 

"I am going to build an orphanage on to my house. I know there are a lot of children that need a home in Truce, I might as well provided one to them if I am going to provide one to her." Lucca stated as Marle played with Kid.

"That's a wonderful idea. I'll send the castle architect to help you. This will be a great thing for the kingdom." Crono said overjoyed.

"You don't mind the fact that I am not going to be in the castle?" Lucca asked.

"Of course not, just as long as you keep your promise to teach Aurora when she gets old enough." Marle stated.

"Of course I will. Besides, I have so many others to teach as well, at least she will have classmates. Including this one." Lucca said cuddling up to Kid.

"What is her name?" A voice that sounded oddly familiar called out from behind her. They all turned or looked up to see a face that they all thought they would never see again standing behind. Glenn and Crono both instinctively drew their weapons. Marle and Lucca took their respective children and hid back behind Crono and Glenn as Robo joined in the stance calling upon his weapon.

"State your purpose demon wizard!" Glenn called out to the figure that was in the hall before them. 

"I assure you, I mean you no harm." The figure said coming closer.

"Sorry, but you've used up a few too many chance Magus." Crono as the figure became clear. However, it was not the Magus they expected. The man that stood, or rather floated before them was dressed in a long white with black trim coat. His pants were white while the shirt he wore on the inside of the coat was black.His boots were silver as was his hair. But the most outstanding feature of this man was the golden mask he wore across his face.

"I am afraid you have mistaken me for someone else. The man you knew as Magus is no more. I have no name, I just wish to know her's." Magus stated. Both Crono and Robo lowered their stance and Crono instructed to Glenn to do the same, he did so grudgingly. 

"Kid, her name is Kid." Lucca stated coming up between them.

"Kid… that will do." Magus said turning around and moving towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Crono asked.

"Too where I belong, I'll be watching her. She has something very important ahead of her to accomplish. By the way, even though we will never meet again, the name… its Guile." Guile said as he flew away. 

"You're right, we shall never meet again. I wish you luck on your journey though." Crono said to himself.

"And I yours…" A voice sounded in Crono's mind. The group just kinda stood there wondering about what had just happened. Lucca and Robo decided that though what had transpired was strange that they would continue with what they were planning. After hearing Guile's words, Glenn decided that he should stay in the kingdom and was knighted a few days later and made captain of the guards. Crono and Marle were very happy with their new daughter, as was then entire kingdom. Everything they had worked so hard for had finally come true.


	19. Interlude

Interlude

Interlude

"Come on daddy you can do better then that. You are supposed to be training me, now stop hold back." The little red haired girl stated as she lunged at the man before her. The man simple shrugged his shoulder spun his staff around her, upended her and slammed her to the ground.

"Good enough?" The man stated helping his daughter up. 

"Better, but let's see you handle this." She stated as she spun around like around like a tornado and caught the man by surprise. With three quick hits, she had him to the ground.

"Impressive."He stated as his daughter helped him from the mat.

"I learned from the best." She said happily.

"Too bad you haven't learned everything." Crono said as he knocked the staff from her hands. He grabbed it and rapped both of the training weapons across her face. She fell to the mat in pain as her mother finally decided to step in.

"That's enough you two. Crono you know better then to be that rough with her." Marle scolded him. 

"It's alright mommy, I have to learn somehow. Better I learn from daddy then in street fight somewhere." Aurora returned rubbing her stinging face.

"Your only six years old and your already talking about getting into street fights. Maybe your mom is right; perhaps we have been going to hard." Crono returned.

"Oh come on daddy, honestly, a girl has to know how to defend herself these days. Besides, you two are not always going to be around to defend me. It is 1010 after all, who knows what's lurking out there." She said pointing out the window. This last comment struck home with both of her parents. They knew she said was she said innocently, but they also knew she spoke the truth. Little did they know how quickly those words would become truth. 

"In any event, I think we have had enough for today. Let's put these weapons away and then you get to your cooking class. You know how the chef gets when you are late." Crono said handing her one of the training staves.

"Yeah, he rides your butt for an hour." She said giggling. Marle couldn't help but giggle at this as well. Crono shook his head, as he knew he was outnumbered on this. But Aurora didn't want to see her father get yelled at so she put her staff and headed down the stairs towards the first floor. While she was making this trip she was nearly run over by the chancellor. She knew something was happening because this man was many things, but rude was not one of them. No matter what the situation, he always took the time to greet her formally. This time however, it seemed that she was not even there. She decided that her cooking lesson would have to wait, besides, she was already better then the cook anyways. After all, it was her duty as a princess to know what was going on in her kingdom. She didn't honestly believe that, but it was a good excuse. She ran up to the training room where her mother and father were still resting. The chancellor barged in on them and Crono looked at worried.

"You know Vicorin, when you get a look you face like that, it takes a year of my eternal life away. What's going on?" He asked the chancellor that looked at white as a sheet. 

"My liege, there has been… an attack of sorts." He answered.

"An attack, but we have a non-aggression pact with Porre; what reason would they have for violating it?" Marle asked standing.

"I am afraid that it was not Porre." Chancellor Vicorin returned.

"Then who and better question what was attacked?" Crono asked as Marle took her place beside him.

"The what is… the orphanage my liege. It was set ablaze." He answered. Marle and Crono looked at each other almost as if they had known this was going to happen.

"Go on." Crono said solemnly. 

"It was reported that a feline demi-human and even stranger looking human went in. This human was dressed like a… what is the word for it…?" Vicorin stood thinking.

"A harlequin, go on." Crono answered.

"Yes, how did you know, did you hear this report already." Vicorin asked.

"No, what of the children and Lucca?" Marle asked.

"Lucca was no where to be found. A witness stated that the two left carrying a bag big enough to keep a human in… we fear the worst. As for the children, happily they are all safe. It seems that another person at some point entered the place and rescued the children. Witnesses state that this was human, male about seventeen years of age. His garb would suggest that he was from a tropical location. The witness couldn't see very well, but believed that his hair was blue, but the strangest thing of all about this boy was the weapon he carried. The description of it is like the description you gave for you the weapon you carried during you battles with Tempest." 

"And no one saw this boy enter?" Crono asked.

"No sir." Vicorin answered.

"Bring the children here, we have more then enough room. Make sure you have the guards scour the countryside looking for Lucca. Go." Crono said as he bid the chancellor to leave. Vicorin agreed and left the room. Aurora had slipped above the room on the steps and wasn't seen as Vicorin left.

"Mom, dad, you don't seem saddened at all by the loss of Lucca, what's the deal?" Aurora silently asked as she continued to listen.

"Is this it?" Marle asked.

"I believe so." Crono returned looking out the window at the now blotted out stars. 

"I would've thought that we would have been given more time." Marle stated cuddling up to him.

"I wish it were so, but it looks like the time has come." Crono said kissing her forehead.

"It has begun." Marle said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yep, the cycle begins again…"

THE END…

Author's Comments

Well, it was a long process, but it is finally over… at least this part of the saga. I know that the beginning was somewhat ify, but I wrote that four years ago. For this release, Avenging Angel (Chapter 4) and everything after Torn between Love and Honor (Chapter 9) has been rewritten. The story was originally twelve chapters and an epilogue, with a much different ending. That was before I played Chrono Cross. I have made many connections to CC, for go reason; because it is a major part of the universe I am trying to create. As I said, this is the first part of the saga. The Interlude was actually not part of the story, but more of a trailer for the next one. With that addressed I am going to address some character issues that I know are bugging many of you.

Kain- Sorry, but I like him and he worked well with the story when I needed him. I had thought about writing something completely different but I already had him as a key part and didn't feel like changing it. Besides, as I said he worked. 

Ayla- I know that some are gonna complain about me trying to reform her to work in 'modern' times. But once again it worked, I especially like the parting scene where she was having trouble holding onto it. And no flaming about the love between her and Kain, it works on so many levels.

Robo- I am surprised that no has yelled at me about him. This was something that would have happened anyway had the story of the game been allowed to continue. Atropos was gone and besides, he and Lucca were made for each other. I liked it.

Magus/Guile- First off, this is my belief. No flames from the Serge/Magus people or the Magus not part of CC people. Besides, Guile is Magus in the original Radical Dreamers. Now, about my converting of Magus into evil, I feel that I pretty well explained that what Crono destroyed was not Magus, just a shadow used by Tempest after he figure out that she wasn't Schala. Crono specifically stated that Magus wasn't evil.

Glenn- I do not believe that my Glenn and CC's Glenn are the same person. In fact in CC it says they aren't. And besides, CC's Glenn is very important in my future plans, he will show up later. 

Everybody- I have changed everybody, live with it. It is simply the natural progression of what would have happened had the story panned out. And besides, maybe a Square exec will be reading and decide this was going to happen anyway. (And every time somebody rings a bell an angel gets its wings… humm)

Well with that out of the way, I hope you have enjoyed my little foray into the art. This was a work four years in the making so be kind and don't be bashful with the reviews. See you next time on The Edge of Forever!


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